It is often hard to welcome the unexpected. I appreciate routine and predictability
When the unexpected happens, it can jarring and frustrating.
15 years ago, for some unexpected reason, I stopped along the side of the Blue Ridge Parkway and picked up a small, stray dog. Turns out he had tags so I spent 24 hours of my vacation trying to locate the owners and when I did, they did not want him.
Unexpectedly, I had a dog. My husband received an unexpected phone call telling him he had a dog too.
A new pet changed our routine and our two cat’s routine! Change is another thing that can be jarring and unwelcome. Walking, feeding, training, and even though the dog was free…there is no free dog. Just consult my Vet!
As we struggled with this new and unexpected being in our life, we began to fall in love and notice what a gift this dog was to our family. Our preteen girls could agree on loving Gizmo, the dog when they could not agree on anything else. When the entire family was tense, Gizmo’s jubilance at just seeing us could release our anxiety.
This is not an advertisement for adopting a dog although you could do worse!
This is just noticing that” unexpected” and “change” bring lots of different stories with them. The first story is not always the one that becomes the true story.
We all like to be able to predict our days and change is often met with a gasp or a moan. Like a change in leadership, a change in colleagues, a change in life style, but add “unexpected” to the mix and we are often left flat-footed not knowing how to move forward. In those times, I remember the Gizmo story and tell myself to wait…there is more to come. The true story may be trying to emerge.
What stories carry you through those trying times of the unexpected?
—Kelli Walker-Jones, M.Div.
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