Our Imperfectly Perfect Spring Break, Part 1
This is the first of a three-part series, reflecting on God’s faithfulness 365 days a year.
It was a whole year. A full year of planning, prepping, talking, and dreaming. We looked forward to Spring Break 2025 for twelve months. The “special-factor” of this trip was that our whole family—as in eighteen of us (seven adults and eleven kids)—would travel together in a tri-fecta celebration:
A couple of recent BIG “Zero” birthdays.
The realization that we might not get this opportunity again—so “let’s do it while our health allows.”
And, “we should take this trip before the oldest grand is too old, but when the youngest grands are alllmooosst out of their “terrific two’s.”
All that and more combined for the makings of a vacation to remember.
And, remember we will. While it wasn’t perfect by any means, mainly due to sickness which we’ll expound upon more in Part 2, for us it was imperfectly perfect—and that’s as close to perfection as anything will be this side of heaven.
Now that we’re back, it’s time to unpack the packed. It’s time to reflect on God’s goodness and the multitude of ways we witnessed his provision—in the multitude of ways we need to keep noticing him in our everyday, non-vacation lives.
We saw him and we see him. . .
In the Dolphins
Any other planners out there? When planning is in our blood, it can be our greatest strength and our greatest challenge, our superpower and our weakness. A full-time job of “calendaring” and purposeful planning? Sign us up! In fact, we could happily plan his life, her life, and their life too! More planning = less wasted time. You see how this can get us in trouble? Just ask those who have to live with us. . .
On our last full day of vacation, we had planned for – and were contented in – “just” a full day at the beach with swimming, sand castle building, and potential ice cream breaks sprinkled between. Not wanting to miss a moment, we started early with our crew of early-risers. With few other beach-goers or swimmers yet to be found, our family plunged through the waves together. While most of us were swimming, wave jumping, and conversing, our daughter looked up, out, and beyond the waves. That’s when she spotted it—the first fin. Then I saw it. We pointed and shouted at the others. When all our gazes spanned the horizon, up splashed another dolphin and another, and before we knew it, we experienced a full-on dolphin show in front of us. Together we witnessed the most exhilarating dolphin play all around us. We took turns pointing at them, laughing and relishing every moment, not wanting this unplanned event to ever end.
We didn’t plan on the real-time dolphin show. We couldn’t have even imagined it. We couldn’t have dreamed it. But, God did. God’s perfectly timed dolphins on our last day, alongside our grandchildren, was a highlight of our trip. Unplanned, unprovoked, unprompted.
Some playful Spring Break dolphins reminded me that God often shows up in the most unexpected ways. He wows us and astounds us when we least expect it. Dolphins reinforced the truth that I’m not in control (thank goodness), and that God’s surprising, bountiful grace is far beyond anything I could ever plan—or even dream of planning.
We can strategize, but God’s in control. We might “itinerary” some really cool experiences, dinners, or family days, and we can absolutely trust that God will bring fruit out of our intentional desires and deeds. But, it’s God who allows us to carry out our plans. “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21, ESV).
It’s our omniscient God who oversees all things, our omnipresent God who blesses through unexpected encounters, and our omnipotent God whom “nothing is too hard for” (Jeremiah 32:17, NIV). God is sovereign over our itinerary, over our time, and over our agenda. Thank God that he’s God. Thank God that when our planning sneaks into idol status, God graciously reminds us that He alone is worthy of our worship.
Often times the best moments are so out of our control and so surprisingly beautiful, that there’s no doubt they’re completely a gift from God. James 1:17 declares “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (CSB). It’s God alone who’s worthy of our praise, not the beautiful moment itself, and certainly not our own meager—or lofty—efforts to plan ahead. God, Creator of the dolphins, Creator of the Ocean, Creator of our children and grandchildren. It’s Him we praise.
Back to reality, back to planning both normal to-do-list days & fun birthday party days, babysitting schedules & family dinners, work and fun, may the memory of unexpected dolphins remind me that God is always working—sometimes in spite of my plans, sometimes through my plans, sometimes in the midst of my plans, sometimes blessing my plans, but always in extraordinary ways, and never bound by my short-sighted plans.
May the unabashed, unforgettable joy and the remnants of sand in my suitcase be the mementoes I hang onto and a new perspective momenta.
One-time Dolphins playing beside us.
Most-times the best times are the unexpected times.
At all times our trustworthy, loving God is at work on our behalf.
But, but we need to look up from our plans and look out beyond our spread sheet
To notice his majestic works.
One-time Dolphins playing beside us.
“A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9, CSB).
May these be the souvenirs I hang onto and allow to infuse my short-sighted eyes and quick-to-forget mind every day.