N O T A S P L A N N E D

I think it is safe to say the everyone had experienced times when things do not go your way. Maybe a trip you were looking forward to got canceled, you get a bad grade on a test you studied really hard for, or you do not perform athletically as you had hoped thought you would. Trust me...been there...done that...It stinks...

As a year-round swimmer, swimming is kind of my life. It takes up the majority of my time, and energy. All swimmers out there know swimming is frustrating. You train all year just to maybe drop a hundredth at the final meet. Swimming is a numbers game. It all comes down to time standards. Now, do not get me wrong because having time standards and cuts is a great way to calculate process and speed. However, when I think about it, I get annoyed because a time standard should not define you as a swimmer. It does not take for account the hours, hard work, and dedication that have been put in. I remember one time a few years ago when I was really close to getting a cut. I was confident in my training, and I knew that I had worked hard. I trusted the process, but unfortunately I ended up missing the cut by a fraction of a second. After I got out of the pool, tears just streamed down my face. I was so upset, and I felt that all of my hard work and sacrifice had gone unnoticed. I deserved it, but I didn't get it, and all I could do was ask Why.

I began to point fingers, and I even asked God why I had not gotten it.

for I know the plans I have for you says the Lord declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. plans to give you hope and a future.

jeremiah 29:11

I love this verse for many reasons. In fact, I have this on a board above my desk, so I can look at it every day. For starters, I love it because it constantly reminds me that I am not in charge. I know that God has a plan for me, and it might not be what I want at the moment. However, his plan is greater than any plan I will ever have for myself. I know you might not have experienced missing a time cut before, but I am for certain that you have had instances when life does not go as planned. When you encounter these situations I pray and hope that you are reminded of jeremiah 29:11.

as always,

XOXO ginger on a mission