In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. –Proverbs 16:9 (NIV 1984)

Sometimes it makes no difference what plans you make, they will be changed. Such has been the story of my life since the beginning of 2013.

The whole month of January and the first week of February this year my focus was totally on my back. I didn’t know it could hurt so bad. January has been poetry month for me in the previous two years, but I couldn’t bring myself to think of anything worth writing and gave up before day ten.

About the time my back got well enough for me to think about writing blog posts or anything else (February 13) I got the news that my 94-year-old uncle had passed. He was my mother’s twin brother. So I left my husband at home to take care of things and drove from our home near the coast of South Carolina to central Tennessee to meet up with my sister and continue to northern Indiana for the funeral.

A few hours before the funeral we learned that my mother was having respiratory problems so we gave up on visiting any of the places we lived in Indiana before returning to Tennessee to be with her. It turned out Mom had pneumonia and she was admitted to the hospital. When the pneumonia appeared to be cleared up Mom was moved to a rehab center and I drove back to my home in South Carolina. But even on the way home I was getting messages that Mom was not doing well. Within a week I returned to Tennessee to help my sister spend time with Mom in the hospital for the second round of pneumonia.

I arrived home today and considered where I am on my blog. All I can say is Life Happens… Sometimes we decide what we will do and then we do it. Other times, we simply do what must be done. I have no regrets for spending those days with my Mom. I feel so blessed to still have her these many years.

Spending time with Mom was surely more important than anything I might have pecked out for my blog during that time. I know God is in control of the events that take place around me so there is no need to question why. I simply trust him and move on.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.