Not According to Plan

Not According to Plan

By Published On: April 25th, 2018Categories: Life in Uganda0 Comments on Not According to Plan

I think it’s fair to say this week hasn’t gone according to plan.

We’re in the rainy season here in Uganda, and while it reduces the temperature beautifully and leaves us with luscious green grass and plants, it also leaves the roads in a constantly worsening state. Dave’s drive to Kajjansi airfield, the base of MAF here in Uganda, has grown increasingly bumpy over the last couple of weeks.

Last week Dave started feeling a bit of pain in his lower back after the journeys, and then on Saturday morning the pain suddenly magnified, and for the next three days he was completely bed-bound.

It would be bad enough at the best of times, but on Sunday Dave was supposed to fly to France for a course, and then on to Liberia for a week to assist with an avionics installation and some checks. Both trips were impossible.

Thankfully he is on the mend now and able to walk around, albeit gently, but sitting still causes considerable discomfort. Not ideal for getting anything done, or even to be comfortable for full days at home. A small walk around our compound today was his first time out of the house since Saturday morning.

It’s changed my plans as well, staying around to be on hand to help with any tasks and in case the pain worsened. I’ve been the distributer of medicines, supplier of snacks and official nagger to ensure the exercises the physiotherapist suggested are carried out. Definitely different to the week I anticipated, especially now I have my first couple of preaching slots in Uganda booked in and coming up quickly in the next few weeks.

Life has a habit of being unpredictable, and it’s no different here in Uganda than anywhere else in the world. It reminds me of that little verse in Proverbs 16:9:

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.

Sometimes it’s hard to understand why all our carefully laid plans have gone to pot, due to situations outside of our control. It’s easy to end up feeling dispirited and disillusioned and to wonder if there’s any point to planning at all.

The important thing to remember is that we don’t see the whole picture. All we see is the here and now, the pain and frustration, the dreams that seem unfulfilled, the plans that are going nowhere. God, on the other hand, sees the entire tapestry of our lives, and we have to trust that he is steering us in the best direction, using even the painful situations in our lives to bring us to the place where we need to be.

Thank you for standing with us in prayer through this difficult week. We look forward to reporting a completely pain-free Dave!

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