Well, I just had my 80^th birthday. My daughter gave me a card that broke those 80 years down into 960 months, 4,171 weeks, 29,219 days, 701,266 hours, and 42,075 minutes. That’s a lot of time. What I want to know is where the time has gone?

I’ve often said that life happens while we’re making other plans. Yes, we may plan for things, but it doesn’t always go as planned. Things happen that can disrupt the plans for the vacation you planned, the career you thought you were going to follow, and a host of other things. Some would say that if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Is it that easy to flow with the many turns and detours that life brings? Or is there something far deeper than just living life as it goes?

As I look back on my life, I can tell you that much has happened that I hadn’t planned. For example, I had my car packed and was heading to Florida to start college when it broke down. I never made it to Florida, but I did eventually graduate from college. Another time, I had been accepted into a doctoral program only to be dropped from it a week before classes were to start. So much for that plan. The constant in my life was my belief that there was a plan and that God was its creator. My life was like a river. At times it was peaceful and serene, and the next moment I found myself in rushing rapids, fighting to keep my boat upright.

Not everything that has happened has been pleasant. I grew up amid some difficult things, but I learned that even in those times I could find God’s grace and mercy. Those experiences helped shape me into who I am today. If I understand that God is the Potter and I’m the clay, then in His hands He can make me into something useful and beautiful. So yes, even the painful things of life are useful in the Potter’s hands.

In the end, I realize that I am unique; there isn’t another one like me. I suppose we should all be grateful for that, but we each serve a purpose. The simplest prayer I say is, “Lord, what is it you want of me today?” Think about it.