Sometimes you don’t have control over your agenda. Circumstances can take precedence, or a boss may place demands on you, but whatever the case, you know when you are not in control of your day.

This weekend I did a lot of hanging around – it was Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. We do it earlier than the States, probably because it gets cold earlier. We’re still harvesting in mid October, but by the time the end of November comes around, places like Saskatchewan and Alberta can be deep in snow.

This Thanksgiving we had our family around and that meant just hanging out and carving each other up as we reminisced of years gone by.

I discovered that with all the family here my agenda was not my own. I didn’t get to do what I wanted when I wanted.  

Even writing this blog didn’t happen early in the morning when I like to write. I was out to the stores three times and each time the purpose was primarily for someone else.

It was interesting because it reminded me of about a twenty year stretch of my life.

When Lily and I were married, we waited about four years before we had kids. In that time our agenda was our own. We did what we wanted when we wanted and for how long we wanted to do it.

But from the moment our first child, Karlie, was born things changed. Our agenda each day was not really our own.

It was high-jacked everyday after that, in some form or fashion, by our kids … until our second child, Mike, moved into his own place.

Then, as quickly and miraculously as we had lost control of our daily agenda, we got it back. 

In fact, we’ve had our agenda back for so long that it’s difficult to remember what life was like when we had a couple of pirates controlling the ship for so many years.

Well “matey”, I guess I just rediscovered what it’s like to have Captains Blackbeard and Jack Sparrow battling for control of the details of our day.  

It’s always interesting – never a dull moment – and there is lots of comedy.

But I’m not doing what I might have planned if I was in control of my agenda.

For one thing I would have had my blog post written long ago. I also would have felt free to do the things that were on my list of things to do. 

… But when I think of what is on my to-do list, there are a whole lot of things I don’t really want to do. 

So the high-jacking of my agenda might not have been a bad thing after all. 

Maybe what’s really at stake for me is the feeling of freedom. Freedom is not a real thing because I’m either tied to my list or someone else’s agenda. 

… For some reason, I just feel more free with my list. 

It’s all moot because everything went back to normal on Monday night. I got my agenda back. 

Here’s the thing: We like our freedom so much that we don’t like to give our agenda up for anyone, even God. But your freedom is really an illusion because there is always someone or something in control of your agenda. It comes down to whether you choose to feel free with God’s agenda or someone else’s. Bob Dylan was right when he sang, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody. Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” Choose God and choose His freedom.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Who has control of your agenda? Leave you comments and questions below.