Expect the Unexpected

“This Christmas expect the unexpected, say a little prayer to St. Joseph, and go with the flow. When things turn upside down, you’ll smile and not frown.” Bishop William Byrne

Today, I was supposed to be in a plane headed to New York. Instead, I’m in a car on my way to Charlotte, NC. How did this happen? I’m not sure. I’m still trying to wrap my head around this sudden change of plans. It should not surprise me, though. Ever since Covid started, I’ve been living a very unexpected life, just like everyone else in the world. 

St. Joseph is one of my favorite saints. Aside from the obvious—he was Mary’s husband and Jesus’ earthly father—, he was also unassuming, quiet, strong, wise, and trusting. This last trait is what places him in my list of favorites. I admire how he trusted God completely. He trusted God when the angel appeared to him in a dream, and told him to marry Mary even though he had just found out that she was pregnant, and he was not the father. He trusted when he had to go to Bethlehem with Mary just a few weeks before her due date. He trusted God when they couldn’t find a place at the inn. He trusted when Mary went into labor in a stable. He trusted when God told him to go to Egypt instead of back home to Nazareth. Joseph trusted completely in spite of all the change of plans that God kept sending him. Joseph was the king of the unexpected. 

I need to learn from St. Joseph to go with the flow. I don’t do good with the unexpected. I am a planner to the point that I become a bit OCD. Therefore, when I get hit with curve balls, and my plans are turned upside down, I mope.

Our trip to New York had been planned to the last minute detail: gifts shipped, food for both Christmas Eve and Day ordered, restaurants and activities planned. Hotels and airlines reserved well in advance. And the most important part—all the kids were going to be there. This was what hurt the most. Getting everyone to synchronize their vacations is no easy feat, but for four days, we managed to do just that. Add to that the icing on the cake: this is Benedict’s first Christmas. Benedict, my seven-week-old grandson. I saw him when he was one week old, and I was counting the days until I could see him again. Yes, I was definitely not happy when the unexpected happened. 

Mr. Grinch, once again, came to ruin my Christmas plans. He did it last year, and he did it again. Last year, two of my kids got Covid right before Christmas, so we ended up being just three of us around the table. This year, thank God, nobody is sick. But with Covid cases on the rise, and a newborn in the house, we had a family meeting and decided that it would be best to postpone (not cancel) our trip to New York. This decision was made three days ago so overnight I saw all my plans go up in smoke. I cancelled hotel, airline, food order, restaurant reservations, and then I moped. I gave myself one night of pity party, and by Monday morning I knew I had two options: I could continue moping around or I could turn my frown into a smile, and accept the unexpected. 

My youngest kids were already in New York, so at least they got to see their brand new nephew by meeting up in Central Park and getting a peek of him inside the stroller. Now, they are on their way to Kentucky instead of on the 26th as originally planned. 

My middle kids were supposed to fly from Charlotte to New York yesterday. They canceled their flight. And that’s when we decided to join them in Charlotte. 

My older kids and their baby will be alone in New York, but it’s a sacrifice worth making in order to keep the baby safe in these uncertain times. 

Yesterday, I was still trying to accept the change of plans without frowning, when I received this meditation from Loyola Press:

“We know for a fact that the Holy Family had no reservations, so Joseph had to do some quick thinking. Flexibility is the first ingredient to lowering holiday stress. This Christmas expect the unexpected, say a little prayer to St. Joseph, and go with the flow. When things turn upside down, you’ll smile and not frown.” —Excerpted from 5 Things with Father Bill by Bishop William Byrne

“Wow,” I said to myself. “This was written especially for me.”

St. Joseph, king of the unexpected, please help me turn my frown into a smile. Teach me to trust God the way you did. Show me that God’s plans are always better than my own. And help me to accept the unexpected. 

I prayed to St. Joseph, and for the next twelve days, I will go with the flow. Today, I’m on a 10-hour car ride to Charlotte instead of a 3-hour flight to New York. Tomorrow, we may go to the mountains. Who knows? I’m being flexible. After all, I have no control of this ship. We rented a house on the mountains. Hopefully we’ll spend Christmas there. Or maybe not. God is in control, and at this point, I’m expecting more of the unexpected.

Merry Christmas everyone and remember to add flexibility to your plans 😊

Copyright © 2021 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.