With Each New Day

each day when i awaken, i have a plan for the day.  in a way, that's good.  it enables me to get things done in an orderly fashion and to have a sense of accomplishment at the end of most days .  the downside of this process is that when things don't go according to plan, i'm frustrated and angry.  i feel as if i've failed.  i am trying to  let go of my need to have everything go as i would wish.  while i may still have goals for the day, i want to learn to let the day take its course without me forcing it to follow a preconceived sequence.

for instance, one day i wanted to get some practicing in for next sunday's service and i needed to pick up some things from the grocery store.  later in the day we had friends coming over to play cards and have dinner.  my usual plan for the day would be quite detailed, with breakfast at a precise time, followed by getting dressed for the day, arriving at the church for practice at a pre-determined time, followed by a trip to the grocery store, with my arrival back home by a set time to prepare for our friends' visit.  my pattern for the day would be rigid, and failure to keep to my timetable would result in trying to hurry through the process to stay on schedule.  

instead, i let go of my timetable.  i had a more leisurely morning, yet everything i hoped to accomplish got done.  without the dictatorship of the clock, i enjoyed my day more and went to bed more relaxed and woke up refreshed and ready for another day.  i hope to make each day follow the same pattern.  may we each let go of the unreasonable demands we make on ourselves.  may we allow each day to be what it wants to be.  may we be grateful for the little joys each day has to offer us.  shalom.