I had a full conference calendar and I had just finished up when I was asked to speak at a Christmas

gathering. I said yes. I wasn't trying to overbook, but I was hoping to be a blessing to a ministry

that had a pastor in the hospital and a pastor's wife at his bedside. This invitation qualified

for my exception to the rule of not adding to a closed calendar. But a week before their

event, I was the hospital patient. Uh-oh, change of plans.

Welcome to Keep the Heart podcast with Francie Taylor. Francie is an author, teacher, and conference speaker known for sharing biblical insights that are practical and inspiring. Now back to today's valuable study.

How many of you love it when things go according to plan?

Most of us do, but real life brings some strange changes when we least expect it.

In fact, that's part of our problem.

We expect things to go normally most of the time. Things like a wedding that wasn't supposed to be

called off but suddenly it is. Or that doctor appointment that was supposed to be just a routine checkup,

not a frightening diagnosis. Or your car was running just fine before you packed it solid for a road

trip. Or maybe you were supposed to be holding

a newborn, not recovering from a miscarriage. And how could it be that a loved one has passed away

when you just saw them? You were just talking with them. Add your unplanned situation and whether

it's better or worse. The outcome was the

same. Your plans changed. One thing that directly affects our responses to unplanned changes is the

condition of our relationship with the Lord. If we're close to God before a crisis, we tend to accept changes

without becoming foul in our spirits.

How close are you to the Lord in your life? It really makes a difference in how we respond to the

events that we face. What can we do when the change of plans makes life harder? Let's consider

three reminders. First, we need to remember that we

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