I Think Flexible Rigidity Is the Best Plan
I am an organizer and planner by nature. I like having a clear direction. A system in place to expedite those wonderfully crafted plans. Knowing what I’m going to do today.
But then…’life happens’.
You know what I mean. You’re going along, following those well-organized plans and then out of nowhere…something comes along and messes the whole thing up.
Just because I’m a planner doesn’t mean that I can’t be flexible, because I can. Sometimes maybe too much. It has always been pretty easy for me to make adjustments when something unexpected happens.
The problem with this is, getting derailed by distractions makes it hard to stay on task. Then of course that plan, that wonderfully crafted plan, is all messed up. For years I have worked to be better at balancing the plan and flexibility.
You may be on the other side and have the gift of doing. The ability to make a decision and move on it. You find it frustrating when the unexpected happens and you struggle to deal with it.
Knowing what character, personality and gifts you have is critical to being prepared in your own way to handle the unexpected.
I first wrote about this topic of being flexibly rigid back in 2016. It’s interesting that the instigation for that post was a brake line leaking on my truck. Now I’m writing about this again today, six years later.
Today’s situation involves brake lines and a whole lot more.
As I was turning into the church this past Sunday morning, I was rear ended. The accident knocked the rear axle out of the truck as well as causing some damage to the truck bed.
First and foremost, I’m grateful that neither I or the other driver were hurt…the vehicles didn’t fare so well.
Looking at the blessings is a great way to put things into perspective.
I’ve had this truck for twenty-two years and have put 523,000 miles on it, toward my goal of a million miles. People who know me, know that I like my truck…but ultimately, it’s just a truck.
Now, let’s look at how flexible rigidity works.
I need to start with considering my options –
- Is the truck repairable?
- If so, what’s it going to take to repair it?
- If so, is repairing it worth the cost?
- Is the insurance going to total the truck?
- How much is insurance going to pay?
After I get the answers to these questions and others. I will weigh the options, ask God for His thoughts and make a decision.
He is the Master Planner and it is important for our plans to align with His.
We need to determine what our priorities are before the scheduling fiascos happen. Figure out who we are and what we want, so we are ready when the unexpected happens.
This doesn’t mean that everything will go perfectly, but as we search for clarity and work through each schedule disruption…
We will get a little closer to being who we were designed to be.
Being flexibly rigid is the balance of staying on task while handling things when life happens.
