In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.
PROVERBS 16:9
No matter how thoroughly we plan, it’s impossible to know what kind of wildlife we might see in the mountains. Will it be deer standing cautiously at the edge of a meadow, watching us? A fox or coyote silently weaving among the trees? A covey of quail, scurrying along, then pausing, then scurrying some more, and finally taking flight at our approach? A moose, picking her way across a hillside on long legs? A hawk diving for prey? A bear pausing to size us up from a distance?
For most of us, these sorts of encounters are delightful serendipity. They become far more unlikely if we race along the trail, focused only on covering a certain number of miles by lunchtime or before dark. What quiet treasure waits to be noticed, just a stone’s throw off the trail? A rabbit foraging in the brush early in the morning? Ladybugs swarming on a late summer afternoon? Pronghorns coming down to a lake to drink at sunset? Raccoons, quite bold? Bats, flying in erratic swoops as they feed on bugs in the twilight? An otter swimming in a river as darkness falls?
So it is with everyday life. We plan and strategize and schedule. We download apps and design elaborate bullet journals. But let’s face it: the days will inevitably unfold with some surprises, with crises and headaches and delays. If we clutch our plans too tightly, we miss the delightful possibilities waiting for us if we will just raise our eyes from our to-do list. The friend we haven’t talked to in a while who’d love to hear from us. The child who feels unnoticed in a group of adults, but whose smile will light up the room if we talk to her. The widow we’ve always liked who has no family nearby and grows lonely. They’re not far off the beaten path of our routine. Who is God inviting us to notice today?