WEDNESDAY 🌎

🤣🗺️🛣️🔑 WEDNESDAY NOON

APPARENTLY, THIS IS THE PLAN. 🤣

Beloveds,

I have reviewed the itinerary.

I have examined the map.

I have consulted the available evidence.

And I have one question:

WHO PLANNED THIS?!

😭🤣

Because I KNOW this cannot possibly be the route I selected.

I distinctly remember requesting something smooth.

Maybe a little sunshine.

A reasonable incline.

Snacks.

Adequate bathroom facilities.

And preferably NO surprise character development before lunch.

Yet here we are.

🗺️

PLAN A ➡️ CLOSED.

PLAN B ⬅️ UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

PLAN C ⤴️ APPARENTLY REQUIRES EQUIPMENT.

PLAN D ⤵️ Why are we even going down there?!

And then there’s one handwritten sign leaning sideways beside the road:

PROCEED SOMEHOW.

Sir.

Ma’am.

Beloved.

That is not a direction.

🤣🤣🤣

Life has an absolutely fascinating habit of changing the itinerary without consulting the traveler.

You packed for one destination and somehow ended up somewhere requiring an entirely different wardrobe.

You practiced the speech and nobody asked the question.

You prepared the answer and life changed the test.

You organized Monday beautifully and Tuesday arrived carrying a folding chair, three unidentified problems and absolutely no paperwork.

😭

And sometimes all you can do is stand there looking at the situation like:

You tried it.

Because I might be on the detour—

but I still have some agency around here.

🔑

I can stop.

I can rest.

I can ask questions.

I can ask for help.

I can refuse foolishness.

I can change direction.

I can laugh.

I can cry.

I can sit down.

I can get back up.

I can reconsider.

I can say, Nah, fam.

I can take two seats if necessary.

I can take THREE if somebody brings snacks.

🤣

And perhaps most importantly:

I do not have to insult myself because the road got difficult.

The map can be ridiculous without ME being ridiculous.

The situation can be frustrating without ME being a failure.

The plan can fall apart without ME falling apart with it.

And even when I do fall apart a little?

Okay.

Apparently that was on today’s itinerary too.

❤️

We’ll gather the pieces.

We’ll pull up a chair.

We’ll get some water.

We’ll find somebody trustworthy.

We’ll breathe.

We’ll laugh when we’re ready.

And then we’ll decide what belongs to us next.

Because yesterday’s plan does not own today’s person.

🔑🔑🔑

Now, my faith tells me God can work with a detour.

Actually, if I read my Bible correctly, He has quite a history of meeting people in places that were definitely NOT on their original itinerary.

Wilderness.

Boats.

Prisons.

Roads.

Storms.

Gardens.

Mountains.

Dinner tables.

And more than a few situations where somebody probably wanted to ask:

Lord…THIS is the plan?

👀🤣🙏🏿

I don’t always understand Him.

I don’t pretend to.

But I trust Him enough to keep walking when I can, sitting when I need to, and listening along the way.

And if faith isn’t part of your map?

Come sit down anyway.

Atheist.

Agnostic.

Questioning.

Believing.

Not believing.

Still deciding.

Never planning to decide.

You do not need my theology to understand a detour.

Life has handed every kind of human being at least one map that made absolutely NO sense.

🌎❤️

So maybe we can meet each other there.

Not pretending our roads are identical.

Not demanding everybody travel the way we travel.

Just saying:

Ohhhh. Your map got weird too?

🤣

Pull up a chair.

Now listen, Beloveds.

If you are standing somewhere today thinking,

This was absolutely NOT the plan…

Welcome.

Apparently, we have a club.

There are no dues.

The dress code is whatever you managed to put on.

Attendance is optional.

Snacks are strongly encouraged.

And our official transportation policy is:

Whatever gets you there.

Feet.

Wheels.

Cane.

Walker.

Crutches.

Somebody’s arm.

A chair.

A pause.

A crawl.

A prayer.

A good friend.

One stubborn little step.

However you move through this world—

your movement belongs to you.

💯🔑

And if somebody comes along pointing at your detour and explaining how THEY would have traveled it?

Wonderful.

Hand them the map.

🤣🤣🤣

Go ahead.

Since you know everything.

You drive.

I’ll be over here with my snacks.

😭🤣

Beloveds, sometimes encouragement sounds profound.

Sometimes it sounds like scripture.

Sometimes it sounds like somebody whispering, Keep going.

And sometimes encouragement is simply looking at the absolute foolishness happening around you and deciding:

This situation will NOT steal every laugh I have left.

That laugh belongs to me.

That joy belongs to me.

That choice belongs to me.

🔑

So no, this may not have been Plan A.

Frankly, I’m beginning to suspect Plan A left the group chat several exits ago.

🤣

But I’m still here.

You’re still here.

There is still road ahead.

And apparently—

THIS IS THE PLAN.

Or at least this is where we are.

And HERE?

We can work with HERE.

🛣️🔑❤️

Asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: One step. One step. One step. You are loved. You are NOT alone. Keep on being…YOU!

Unapologetically His.
Unapologetically yours. ❤️

If your life has ever looked at your carefully prepared plans and said, “That’s cute” 🤣, come tell us about your detour. Comment, share this with somebody whose map has gotten weird, like it, subscribe/follow, and come back for some daily encouragement.

And somebody PLEASE bring snacks.

Apparently we’re taking the scenic route. 😭🤣🗺️🛣️