Sometimes Plans Fall Through, and That is Okay.

Lucking Out

Last week, I missed a year-long planned hike up the third-highest peak in the Philippines, Mt. Pulag.  Or the highest peak in North Luzon. 

I got a terrible cold. It, for lack of a better word, sucked.

When everything finally fell into place for the hike, my body decided I could no longer handle the stress from work and the weekly travel to and from Manila. After a couple of years, I caught a terrible case of the common cold. At first, I thought it was a simple feat.  After a day or two, I will be up and running ready for the 8-hour hike. 

Two days came and went, and I was thigh-deep with some sinus infection, coupled with incapacitating headaches. Not just that, but the troubled sleep from a clogged nose made me prone to acid attacks from my medication. Until today, I still have the occasional sniffle. 

Although I felt much better the night before the planned escapade, I decided to respect my body’s need to rest and fully recover. Even if I knew my body could handle that hike (difficulty level is only 3/10), pushing through would pull back the little recovery I gained. 

And so, my plans and hopes for last weekend burnt into flames. 

With a heavy heart at about four in the morning, I watched my sister pack her things and leave for our long-awaited trip before Dawn’s fingers graced the morning sky. 

After she bid her goodbyes, only then was my heart and mind graced with the sleep I waited hours to come by. I guess my mind still hoped I could join the group on the adventure and only gave up once things were finally set in stone. 

A Silver Lining

Though with an outlook that was slightly crushed, I found myself in a weekend of peace. 

After almost a month of traveling to and from Manila and the week-long celebration of my grandfather’s 105th birthday,  this was a weekend of stillness. 

No running around with guests.No socializing with cousins you haven’t met in years. No chasing down people for a group study, and no rushing for practice or racing to make it in time for Sunday service.

Instead, I got to sit in peace.

 Although not on a mountain top, not hiking under the vast beauty of the Milkyway, and not hitting a summit to see the sunrise, I was still able to sit in the embrace of the nature that still surrounded me.

 I sat by the window, gazed into a crisp blue sky, and listened to the songs of sparrows and some secret birds hidden in the pines above. 

I found a peace that made me dread the Monday ahead—something I haven’t experienced since I left my corporate job. And if I could take back time, I would do it all over again. 

Plans fall through. We can plan all we want and try all we can, but at the end of the day, some things are out of our control. Like the weather, our health, and time. The world is not set against you—although it feels like it sometimes—there might just be something better for you, something you would have never expected. 

I could have called the whole plan off for my sake. Instead, I waited for their stories, excited to see the pictures, and yearned to know how the experience impacted their life.

Sometimes, we have to learn to roll with the punches, sit on the sidelines, and cheer for those on stage. Even if your heart is broken. And that is okay. 

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Proverbs 16:10a: In his heart, a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.