During residency, several professors explained to us that throughout this program “life happens” regarding work to be done, time management, and emergencies. This has been a week of emergencies and deadlines. My mom went to the emergency room on Monday complaining of severe abdominal pain. After looking at tests, the ER doctor called her surgeon who performed emergency surgery that night (about 10:00pm). One of my assignments, a book review, was due at 10:59pm that day. Fortunately, I was almost finished and only had a few edits to do. The surgery went very well and my mom is still in the hospital, but is free from pain in her abdomen. God is good. I turned in my paper at approximately 10:40pm. God is good.

We can never predict when life will happen–as in “life happens”–and when plans are interrupted due to unforeseen circumstances. My mom will not get to go on her trip to see her granddaughter’s first birthday this week. However, she will be able to go in the future. If she had not gone to the emergency room, her situation might have been different. The Bible has many examples of plans that get diverted, changed, postponed, or reversed. Job’s life didn’t go as he had planned, yet God blessed him with new plans. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) states, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles in which it states, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). God tried to encourage the exiles with the fact that he had their backs and not to worry about their future. God did this for them after many years through his gift of Jesus, which is now our gift. So, when “life happens” remember God has your back.

Blessings to you and yours.