If you’ve been using your GPS to help with navigating, I’m sure at one point or another you’ve been notified by the soft-spoken SIRI that she’s “recalculating” when you’ve missed or changed a turn. One day, I was using it to find a restaurant for a business meeting and had come close enough to actually see the location. SIRI, however, kept telling me to basically go the long way! I left navigation on as I turned down a street only a block away––but according to SIRI, I had totally blown it. I had messed up her routing. After a few more wrong turns (in her opinion), I was almost surprised she didn’t mutter something like, “Look, knucklehead, if you keep ignoring me, I’m just going to turn your car off and make you walk!”
On other days when I really need her guidance, it comes too late. She’ll tell me to “turn now” as I am passing the street, then immediately says “Recalculating”, which I interpret as FAIL! I mean, how hard is it to follow verbal instructions? Granted, she tells me WAY too late for me to actually follow them, so I don’t beat myself up too much about that.
In life, I’ve taken many turns which would have earned me a “Recalculating” from SIRI if she’d been on the job. Sometimes a ‘turn’ comes up much too fast, or unexpectedly. or maybe just not in keeping with my expectations. Life is full of unexpected turns and shifts.
However, the good news is that we can always recalculate a new path. It doesn’t always mean we’ve missed the mark or missed the perfect opportunity. Sometimes it just means, ‘look at this situation from a new perspective.’
I’ve had many examples of times I went in with one idea, only to have the outcome turn out NOTHING like I’d imagined––in fact, far better.
I see have options for how to respond to these situations. I call them “The Three A’s”: ADAPT – ADOPT – ABORT.
ADAPT – We can choose to see an alternative way to handle a situation and make changes to accommodate them.
ADOPT – We also have the option to simply welcome the changes with open arms, and take up the new idea as our own.
ABORT – Then there is the always popular Abort! In these cases, it becomes crystal clear the mark was missed and rather than spending time stressing over the mistake, it’s time to come up with plan B. Another way to look at this is “cutting your bait”.
I saw this one day while I was literally fishing with my son. We were at this great private pond, and we had the place to ourselves. We found a shade tree near the edge and got ready for the haul. My son had done a lot of studying about fishing; what lures to use, when, where and how to cast, etc. He had this really cool lure he had recently bought and was excited about using it. He leaned back and cast it with hope and anticipation. “Oh no!” He exclaimed. His lure had gone about fifteen feet out, then gotten hung up in a tree branch leaning out over the water. He pulled and pulled, different strengths, different angles, but it was not coming out. I made a few attempts myself, but nothing worked. I used my pole to try and reach it, but it was too far out. I suggested walking out in to the water and trying to untangle the line with his hands, but he was not interested in this. As we estimated the water was maybe eight feet deep at the point where the lure was stuck, I considered wading out there myself. Then I saw an opportunity to teach a life lesson. I told him it was time to cut his bait. Short of tears, the disappointment was hard to watch. I explained how he could spend another thirty minutes trying to free the lure, with absolutely no guarantee. So despite the loss, it was time to move on.
He tried for a few more minutes, then you could literally see his body language as he succumbed to the idea that he had to let it go. These aren’t always easy or enjoyable times as a parent, but the lesson would have much longer benefit for him in many ways throughout life. He pulled out his knife, held it against the line for a second, making sure there was nothing he hadn’t considered, then SNIP.
Okay,.. I am a big softy…I didn’t tell him that earlier while trying to use my pole, I had wrapped my line around his so that when he cut his, I reeled in mine––and his lure came safely to the shore.
You would have thought he’d won the National Lottery!
Making changes to our ‘route’ is not always something we welcome so easily. I have a horrible fault that freaks me (and others) out. When I’m forced to make changes to a plan I’d thought out, considered and solidified, I lose it. One day, I was planning to mow the lawn and had all the gear out and ready to go, then all of a sudden the bottom fell out of a cloud and it poured rain. It was clear I was not mowing, and I got very upset by the recalculation I had to make. It took me a few years and many instances before I realized there is almost ALWAYS a ‘Plan B.’ Not that I have mastered this, but I have gotten much better at understanding that things don’t always go as planned––that sometimes we need to take a moment to recalculate Plan B.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6