The Scottish poet Robbie Burns wrote the famous words (in translation):
The best laid plans of Mice and Men
oft go awry,
And leave us nought but grief and pain,
For promised joy!
They’re part of an eight-verse poem ‘To a Mouse’. Farmer Robbie Burns, accidentally ploughed through poor “Mousie’s” nest in a field. The poem is an apology to the mouse. Burns didn’t intend it; the mouse didn’t expect it…
I had plans for yesterday afternoon… personal admin, on-line purchases, grass cutting, pond clearing – little inconsequential jobs, but important and necessary to me.
A sign flashes up on my computer: ‘DANGER! Virus infection!’ My computer knowledge is significantly limited. The flashing sign won’t go. I take my computer to the store where I’d purchased it. The lovely Dawn stops my ‘DANGER!’ sign. I return home.
The ‘DANGER!’ sign returns. Viruses remain. I return to Dawn. She’s patient and kind; more thought, more time. ‘DANGER!’ finally disappears. So have my afternoon’s plans.
The South Lowestoft Methodist Church was built in 1963, replacing an old 1904 church. After celebrating its 60th anniversary, the church was closed; it was put up for sale last year.
Last week it went up for auction but failed to sell. I guess that in 1963 there were wonderful plans… perhaps Robbie’s poem could apply.
In ‘Ruthless Trust’ Brennan Manning tells of ‘John’ going to work with Mother Teresa in Calcutta. John asks Mother Teresa to pray that he will have clarity. She refuses, saying that he must let go of his desire for clarity and learn to trust…
‘Craving clarity, we attempt to eliminate the risk of trusting God. Fear of the unknown path stretching ahead of us destroys childlike trust in the Father’s active goodness and unrestricted love.’
I have plans for today. I want to eliminate confusion and uncertainty, but there might be unintended destruction, unexpected danger, an unwanted empty faith-home.
I’m praying that through the unintended, unexpected and unwanted I might learn to trust better.
malcolmsmusings.org 