Mystery

I have a tendency to worry about things I cannot control. It's something I work on all the time. I've always been a planner (although my volunteer time forced me to accept when things could not be planned). And I think the times when I didn't know what was going to happen, often ended up being better than I would have planned. So I try to remember that.

Last weekend, my friend Genny asked me how she could encourage me this week (that sounds a bit random, but was in the midst of the conversation). I am attending a wedding of a good friend AGAIN this weekend, so I immediately responded with....that someday I'd have someone to attend weddings with, although in looking back it should have been that I would HAVE a wedding someday. Regardless, she responded with advice to "appreciate the mystery still in my life." (She's very smart.) And I think God spoke through her in that moment, because it really stayed with  me.

I walked away with the realization that over the years, I do not like the mystery. I want to know how things will turn out....what my job will be, how much money I'll have at retirement, if I'll have a family, if my parents will be ok even if I don't live nearby, where I'll live....and the list goes on and on. And, fortunately, whether we're single or married, there is still mystery in each of our lives, even if it's just what the weather will be or what we'll encounter at the next turn in the road. How boring it would be if we knew what would happen each day! If we had everything planned out ahead of time and there were no surprises....

What about you? Do you worry about things that are out of your control? Do you appreciate the mystery in your life?