Tip of My Iceberg

My daughter’s in-laws were down for a visit (two very fun people who broke all those in-law molds), and ideas were flying as to what Florida experience they could enjoy.

They came up with an airboat ride.

These boats have super powers. They’re able to go over swampy rivers/land without getting bogged down. They’re able to go where no other boats have gone before.

And they make a dickens of a noise.

The family picked a day when the kids didn’t have soccer. (Rare days.) And they left, hoping it would be a wonderful family adventure with the added possibility of seeing alligators.

Everyone sees alligators when they ride airboats.

Just not when it’s cold.

The day turned into one of those Florida winter days that have been all too common this year–uncomfortable-to-the-bone cold, windy, miserable.

But a plan is a plan. So they braved the elements (how funny is that to say about a Florida winter day when the temperature is still in the 50’s) and made the trip.

Everyone froze.

And they didn’t see a single alligator.

Isley, in all of her three-year-old angst, wasn’t supposed to go on this trip. This was where I dropped the ball. I hadn’t expected them to go the day they did, so I’d made plans I couldn’t break.

None of them had expected the cold. No one had enough on to keep them warm. And Isley, a gal who doesn’t like any loud noise except the sound of her own voice, hadn’t expected the boat ride to be so noisy. Noisy enough to require massive ear protectors. She looked like a little gnome snuggled into Mom, eyes closed, waiting for it to end.

Unmet expectations abounded.

Was the trip fun? Not so much, in a cold and quirky way. Did they make a memory? Yes. In a cold and quirky way. Was it what they expected it to be like? No. Not even close.

That’s life. Not an excuse. A reality. I plan things, having expectations that they’ll turn out as I’d hoped, and something unexpected crops up. It changes everything. And I’m left with a choice. Do I deal with the disappointment in the moment, moving on and adapting to my new reality? Or do I let disappointment ruin any possibility of contentment with my situation?

Change happens daily. And not just the weather. I find I’m either in transition, have just finished a transition or will soon be moving into a transition. Change happens whether I’m prepared for it or not. It’s a reminder that I really don’t control much of anything.

What is consistent? What can I count on? In the midst of a life that can guarantee me nothing, what remains absolute? Unchangeable?

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”   Hebrews 18:8

Jesus alone never changes. He remains true to His absolute deity. His perfection. What He says, He will do. Who He claims to be, He is.

He’s the only sure thing I’d ever invest in.

Absolutely.

First photo courtesy of en.wikipedia.org