Unexpected

Some days it just all seems to go a little bit wrong from the word go. Not terribly wrong, certainly not a crisis, but nothing is quite how I planned it and my priorities get re-worked. A worrying phone-call, a friend in need of support, a cancelled arrangement, a hoped-for favour not going to happen.
I am just one day into my new, relaxed regime. The idea is that my children will plan their own days, pursue just two or three projects and I will be on hand to guide and support. My daily planner has marked off time zones when I am not to be disturbed but other than that I am available, I will not blog, I will not check e-mails, I will not be too busy for my children. Except today when I have been on the 'phone for at least an hour and have had a constant stream of texts as I receive up-dates and offer advice on a sick friend.
I begin to panic. This is not how it was meant to be but I can't do anything else. I cannot meet all the needs and solve all the problems. It is a constant battle to remind myself that I am not left an orphan but have a loving, heavenly father who is on the case, intimately and compassionately involved in my life.
I look out of the window. My children are having a football practice. The sport-mad middle one has set up a series of tasks for his siblings, written them a worksheet and is coaching them. I even saw them doing warm-up exercises!
My friend phones and, in response to my grumpy text, has set about finding a solution to one of my problems. She's not offering to do it, she's done it.
The children help me wash up after lunch, we set off to swimming lessons on time. The wheels have not come off my day and I am learning to be flexible.