According to Plan

I read an email reply from my son’s kindergarten teacher. She had asked me to pray that it didn’t rain the next day during their field trip to the zoo. I typed back, “I hope everything goes according to plan.”

I felt a little guilty for responding that way. Did I really hope that everything went according to plan? Does anything ever go 100 percent according to plan?

Of course I hope it doesn’t rain. I hope all the children stay healthy and safe and with the group. I hope none of the animals are traumatized by the onslaught of kindergartners.

I also hope for little “unplanned” surprises along the way. I hope for animals that come right up the edge of their pens to discover what children are like. I hope for monkeys that are funny and lions that are scary. I hope for peacocks that show their full plumage.

I hope for all the cute, unexpected things children say and do that will make their teachers smile. I hope young friendships are created and strengthened. I hope for memories that may even last a lifetime.

I am the type of person who prefers to know what’s going to happen and when it’s going to happen and what I need to be prepared for in the mean time. I like for things to go according to my plan, and occasionally get frustrated when they don’t work out that way.

Life seldom goes according to plan. Sometimes that’s good, like Garth Brook’s song, “Unanswered Prayers” where it doesn’t work out with his high school sweetheart, but he ends up with his true love. The older we get, the more we realize that life has more in store for us than we can begin to think or imagine.

So, I really hope the field trip turns out better than planned, even if it rains a little. I hope any little glitches that come up along the way become part of the charm of the trip. I hope my son enjoys every moment and tells me all about it tomorrow. I’m planning on it.