The baby wakes up an hour early—the hour you had planned for quiet study and prayer.
The teen driver totals your car on her way to a ballgame.
The job interview seems to go so well that you let yourself hope, but the postion goes to another candidate.
In ways that are both trivial and seismic, life does not always go according to plan. Elisabeth Elliot put it succinctly:
Life is full of things we can’t do anything about, but which we are supposed to do something with. [Jesus] Himself endured a cross and thought nothing of its shame because of the joy.”
The “thing” with which I’m supposed to be “doing something” in this season is Parkinson’s disease. The enormity of my project came into sharp focus for me when a simple virus accompanied by a fever put me completely out of commission for two or three days. Was it the fever? Or was it the days without my exercises and the “rest” usually prescribed for simple viruses that seemed to trigger a notable worsening of the tremor and other symptoms?
All this was not part of my plan—and neither was the wind/rain storm that took out our electricity and sprawled a massive limb and scattered tree branches across our yard! However, knowing I needed exercise and movement, I grabbed the wheelbarrow and picked up the worst debris. It felt good to be outside, moving, bending, and breathing deeply.
The diagnosis, the storm, the oil lamps, and the days without phone or internet access were not part of the plan, but they were, nonetheless, given to us “to do something with.” In his collection of Sabbath Poems, Wendell Berry tosses out a line like an afterthought:
We live the given life, and not the planned.”
My assignment, my right response to the given life is to keep writing—here, yes, and other places on the internet, too, but also to keep writing more good lines in my story by the way I embody this creaturely life. That will include pouring myself into kids and grandkids, showing up in meaningful ways with the church gathered, and paying attention to the Spirit of God whose goal is to impress upon my heart the truth of the written Word of God.
In ways that are both trivial and seismic, life does not always go according to plan. “We live the given life, and not the planned.” Wendell Berry
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By grace, we are enabled to accept what has been given with an open hand, to receive the given without allowing our longing for the “not given” to slay our gratitude or our ability to live present to the people God has wrapped up in the gift of our given life.
Will you join me in 2024 in giving thanks for the Given?
Are you willing to release the planned life if it cuts across what God reveals as His plan?
How can we pray for one another? Here’s one suggestion:
“Father, let your kingdom come. Father, let your will be done…”
“Life is full of things we can’t do anything about, but which we are supposed to do something with.” My assignment then is to keep writing more good lines in my story by the way I embody this creaturely life. #elisabethelliotquote
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And Now Let’s Talk Books…
There are two classifications of the folks populating planet Earth: The “Here I Am” People and the “There You Are!” People. My goal is to show up in a room wanting to know more about others. I want to put the spotlight on them with a “There you are!” attitude.
How to Know a Person by David Brooks is a guidebook for that mindset, for understanding “the unique individual in front of you.” A better understanding of others is key to better relationships, better workplaces, and better houses of worship where people come away feeling valued, heard, and understood.
Brooks ransacks the goodness of multiple disciplines (psychology, philosophy, world history, brain science, and pop culture) and then, with clarity of thought and expression, distills his research into stories that impart clues for skillful living. For example, becoming an “illuminator” requires attending to people, showing up with tenderness, employing active curiosity, and operating out of generosity and affection for the vulnerable humans who show up in the cast of characters we’re called to see and know.
I know that I will be rereading the section on how to keep a conversation going. Brooks describes a good conversationalist as being “capable of leading people on a mutual expedition toward understanding,” and a good conversation as “an act of joint exploration.” I want to work on that skill!
Holding You in the Light,
How to Know a Person by David Brooks is a guidebook for understanding “the unique individual in front of you.” @randomhouse @nytdavidbrooks #howtoknowaperson #bookreview
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Free Encouragement in Your Email Inbox!
On the third Thursday of every month, I send a newsletter with biblical encouragement straight to my subscribers’ email inboxes. Frequently, I share free resources, and the newsletter is where everything lands first. I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his Word, and it’s my goal to help you along that path.
To add this free resource to your pursuit of biblical literacy, simply CLICK HERE. There, on Substack’s website, you’ll find a prompt that looks just like this image for Living Our Days with Michele Morin. Over on that site, simply enter your email and then click on the purple “SUBSCRIBE” button.
You’ll receive a welcome letter to confirm your subscription and monthly encouragement in your email inbox.
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees. If you should decide to purchase any of the books or products I’ve shared, simply click on the image, and you’ll be taken directly to the seller. If you decide to buy, I’ll receive a few pennies at no extra cost to you.
Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.
Living Our Days 
I was praying for you when I read about the storms. Glad to know you are okay. I think 2024 is going to be a test of our ability to recognize and adapt to God’s will as we let go of our own.
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Thanks for praying!
And I think you are right—which is a good place to be if we will submit to the process.
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I find that life so rarely goes as planned; though I am struggling to love it right now when it does seem to be so stressful. We had to deal with widespread power outages right before Christmas too.. and that really was not much fun but boy was I ever grateful for a working generator.
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When the power goes out or a car doesn’t start with the turn of a key it always reveals my flimsy hope in all the wrong objects!
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These words resonate deeply with me, my friend, and the quotes are perfect. Wendell Berry nails it. I think as we get older these truths are something we are far more attuned to than when we are young. Thanks for this. It fits well with what I am writing for my next post.
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Yes, I agree that age provides ample opportunity to practice this need for grace. And I am trusting that we’ll become more skilled with practice?
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This is timely. I got up early this morning to get my shower, hoping to get in to the doctor’s office today to have him look at a possibly infected wound. And . . . no hot water. My husband tried a simple fix on the hot water heater, which didn’t work. The plumber who came out gave an estimate of $4,600 — $1,000 for the water heater and $3,600 for labor. My jaw drops in astonishment every time I think of it! We have someone coming out for another estimate tomorrow. So it’s been a go-with-the-flow kind of day, (no pun intended. 🙂 ) I’m thankful it didn’t happen when all the family was here, that we have an RV to shower in, that the laundry is caught up, that we can use paper plates.
I’m glad you’re feeling better and the storms are over. I like that thought of the given life vs. the planned. I’m thankful God knows what’s ahead even though we don’t. Helen Keller is quoted as saying “The bend in the road is not the end of the road—unless you fail to make the turn.”
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Oh, what a mess and what a hassle! That kind of “suffering” is always the thing that reveals all the cracks in my theology!
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Michele, I have had this post open on my laptop and have read it numerous times. So much of it has resonated with me. December did not go as planned for our family, but then life rarely has gone according to my plans. The Wendell Berry quote is one I am writing down in my Bible. We can so easily forget that life is lived according to the Lord’s plan. The question truly becomes, “How will I live the life I have been given?” My husband, being a card player, has repeatedly said to me, “This is the hand we have been dealt so we need to play it well.”
I so appreciate your thoughts and posts. I also pray for you – may the Lord protect you and slow the progression of the disease. May He give you strength and perseverance so that you live the life you have been given to the glory and honor of the One who is the Life, the Way, and the Truth.
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I love knowing that this little nugget of truth is helping you to see your “given” as the gift that it is. I’m learning, too, that one of the real downsides of being a planner is that my plans are not coming from a sovereign creature, and my creaturely privilege and duty is to bow to the plans of my Creator. As you know, this is a challenge and sometimes even a flashpoint!
And thank you for your prayers and your kind words!
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My best friend often reminds me that each day is a gift. My response to that is that life is a gift. We might not like the things that happen to us. Each day we learn something new about Jesus, the world and ourselves, God has his reasons for giving us what He chooses for us. If I were to list the things about what I wanted in life and then list what I have received from God in order to live the life I have, the two lists would look entirely different. Peace and blessings to you and yours.
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Wow, you have made some excellent points here. Those two lists are where we need to trust God’s sovereignty!
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You often come to mind at seemingly random times, dear friend. I’ve been taking these thoughts as nudges to pray for you…as a mom and grandma and writer and on the journey with Parkinson’s. You are never far from my heart. Thank you for continuing to point us back to Him!
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What a huge gift! Thank you for the prayers and for your encouraging words!
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Michele, I could not love this post more! Over a post-Christmas brunch with family, we were talking about whether or not we are “interruptable.” My answer? A lot more than I used to be. Mostly because of my given life, which has often not been anything like my plans. I’m so sorry the virus took you out of commission but what a gift to be see the fallen limbs as a means to recuperate. Happy New Year, friend!
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I think I could say the same thing in answer to that question. Amazing how much we are shaped by the parts of our lives that we did not plan!
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This is a beautiful reckoning with accepting the life we’re given. You are making the most of it, my friend. I know you will keep fighting the good fight.
I have Brooks’ book on my list. So glad to hear what you think of it here!
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Brook’s is speaking the language of you 2023 woty! One of our most important gifts as part of being human is our ability to know other humans, honoring the image of God in them.
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We have two neighbors who are “dealing” with Parkinson’s, both in their 80s. One can hardly walk and now has prostrate cancer also. The other one shakes but is a spitfire and can walk faster than just about anyone, even with a cane, but he shakes. It doesn’t matter. He often cooks dinners for 6-7 people, enjoys his new great-grandson, and loves life. They both love life, and we love them. They inspire us.
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They are blessed to have you in their neighborhood. It encourages me to hear that they have not become invisible to you in spite of their disability!
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They are very dear!
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Michelle, your strength and honesty are a source of encouragement for me. Keep working wiht what you are given and you will continue to bless others.
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That’s so encouraging! Thank you so much!
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Yes, joining you today to accept the given. That quote is eye opening. Michele this is beautiful.
Thank you so much for sharing this with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
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Thank YOU for reading!
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