The Trees Don’t Plan or Worry
But I Need to Plan!

I want to be more like the trees, responding to the Force of Nature, the whispers of the Holy Spirit. I want to be flexible, available, ready to pivot and respond and care for what shows up in front of me. I want to let go of planning and control and worry.

And yet, I do need to plan. Whether for a family picnic, a book group, a retreat, or an individual spiritual direction session, I need to set a time, a place and a format in order to set a condition that others can respond to and move toward (or away) from. If these gatherings are to happen, or at least have an opportunity to happen, I need to shape a form and structure so that those so moved might respond.

This planning is my response to the pull of Life that invites me to gather people, to issue invitations for reflection, fellowship, and deepening.

But I don’t need to worry. I can let go of trying to control the outcome. I can let go of worrying whether I chose “the right” time. I can let go of worrying about who might show up, or how many will show up. I can do my part to the best of my ability, and leave the rest to God. 

I can plan as I feel led (including planning for contingencies) and then hold those plans loosely, trusting that God is and will be at work in the midst of them.  Whether the event seems like a “success” or “failure” at the time, I know that God will be at work, in ways both seen and unseen.