Sometimes God Changes Your Plans
There are moments in life when you think you have everything planned.
Then God quietly writes a different ending.
In September 2021, Blake and I were supposed to be celebrating his birthday in New Orleans. The hotel was booked. The restaurants were picked out. We were looking forward to spending a few days wandering Magazine Street, eating great food, and celebrating together.
Then Hurricane Ida happened. Like so many travel plans that year, ours disappeared overnight. We could have stayed home. Instead, we pointed the truck west.
My mom and aunt just happened to be vacationing in Cloudcroft that same week, so after spending several days exploring parts of historic Route 66 through New Mexico, we made our way south from Santa Fe and Albuquerque, (through Bingham, NM!) to meet them in the mountains.
At the time, it felt like we were simply making the best of a canceled trip.
Looking back, I think God had other plans.
Cloudcroft wasn't new to me.
My parents owned a vacation home in Cloudcroft from the time I was a little girl until I was in college. For years, those mountains were where our family escaped the Texas heat each summer and returned in the winter to play in the snow.
Some of my favorite childhood memories include riding through the forest with my dad, evenings around the fireplace, watching deer wander through the yard, and strolling through the little village together. He loved the mountains, and somewhere along the way, I learned to love them too.
Long before Blake ever saw Cloudcroft, it already felt like a piece of my story.
We arrived on what the Chamber of Commerce would probably call a perfect day. Seventy-five degrees. Blue skies. Not a hint of humidity. Meanwhile, we knew we'd soon be heading back to central Texas, where September still meant temperatures pushing 100 degrees.
We spent just one afternoon wandering through town, browsing the little shops, and breathing in the scent of the pines. That was all it took. As the afternoon came to an end, I asked Blake a simple question. "Do you want to stay here tonight and drive straight through tomorrow, or drive halfway tonight?"He didn't hesitate.
"I don't ever want to leave."
I laughed. Standing there in the cool mountain air, I couldn't say I disagreed. Some places have a way of capturing your heart before you even realize what's happening.
We eventually climbed back into the truck and headed toward Texas. The whole drive home, we talked about Cloudcroft. What would it be like to live there? Could we really just pick up and move?
It was just one of those "what if" conversations you have after an unforgettable trip. The kind that usually fades once real life starts again.
At least, that's what we thought.
Today, it's impossible for me not to see God's hand in every part of that trip.
If Hurricane Ida hadn't canceled Blake's birthday getaway...
If we hadn't decided to head west instead...
If my mom and aunt hadn't already been vacationing in Cloudcroft...
If we hadn't spent that one perfect afternoon in the mountains...
Our lives would have taken a completely different path. Sometimes what feels like disappointment is really God's redirection. Sometimes the plans that fall apart make room for something even better.
That unexpected stop in Cloudcroft didn't just save a canceled birthday trip.
It changed the course of our lives.
We just didn't know it yet.
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