While Making Other Plans
There is an "old" saying that goes something like:

Life is what happens to you while you are making other plans.

That came home to me quite powerfully over this past weekend. The brother of one of my good friendshad an aneurysm break in his brain on Friday morning with no chance of survival. I was with my friend when he got the first message that his brother was ill and then throughout the day when each succeeding message was bad news followed by worse news.

We were together at the Bluegrass Jam Camp that I mentioned here a few weeks ago. We had set this up almost a year ago and were running the weekend. We were just starting to get things put together for the camp participants to arrive when the day started downhill. By the end of the day- actually, just about 11:00 at night, he left to be able to get a flight the next morning to Atlanta where his brother lived.

We had been excited about this and looking forward to it. We had a great drive up to the camp on Thursday evening solving all the problems of the world. We were looking to the time of jamming and learning. As the leader of the camp I couldn't leave and I had to go on with what I was doing. It was a tough experience for me- I can't even imagine what was going on in his thoughts and reactions. The camp went on as planned and everyone had a great time- but my heart wasn't in it.

Which is really how life is. It never follows our plans and in the end we have to live with what happens. We get called up short by these kinds of events. To see my friend in such grief and pain is difficult. His brother was my age. Not knowing what to do in a moment of complete helplessness for both of us was perhaps the worst.

There is a great old bluegrass song that I think is appropriate today. We sang it in our Gospel Jam at the camp this morning:

Life is like a mountain railway with an engineer that's brave
We must make the run successful, from the cradle to the grave
Heed the curves and watch the tunnels; never falter, never fail
Keep your hands upon the throttle and your eye upon the rail

Blessed Saviour there to guide us
Till we reach that blissful shore
And the angels there to join us
In God's grace forevermore

You will often find obstructions; look for storms of wind and rain;
On a fill, or curve, or trestle, they will almost ditch your train;
Put your trust alone in Jesus; never falter, never fail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.

Bless'd Savior, Thou wilt guide us,
Till we reach that blissful shore;
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore.