Deo Volente

I remember the first time I encountered it. It seemed so odd to me. Like I had travelled back in time or something. Where was I?

"Lord willing," my new college roomate remarked to me about some plans we had made for the weekend. I was a freshman at Dordt College - which was culture shock enough for me. I had grown up in "So Cal" (southern California for the unitiated) and here I was in the midwest - in Iowa no less. Everyone smiled and said hello when you walked by them. They even asked "how are you doing?" People even left their cars unlocked while they ran in to the grocery store - and even running during the winter months!

But here was this roomate of mine and he kept saying "Lord willing" about plans we had made - even about the next day?! 

Fast forward a few years and I remember the first time I saw "D.V." at the bottom of an email. Now - what on earth did "D.V." mean? Ahh . . . Deo Volente - the fancy Latin way of saying "Lord willing." 

Fast forward to now and here I am blogging about all this - lol. And . . . you know what . . . there was something to it after all. 

Life is so unpredicatble right now. We are reminded continually of things beyond our control. Beyond our ability to know. And as I continue to live with ongoing disruptions to my life and even my plans . . . I am seeing the wisdom in the habit of "Lord willing." 

Two words. 

Yet - profound in their meaning. 

A habit that might even train my heart to accept what has become all-too familiar . . . what will tomorrow bring? We'll have to wait and see. 

All our plans - held with open hands. 

All our goals, our hopes for the future - even all of our tomorrows - held with open hands. 

I'm learning to live with a "Lord willing" posture right now. You may even hear me say it from time to time. That old roomate would smile . . . 

It's the wisdom of Scripture - 

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  (James 4:13-15)

Until next time . . . Lord willing,

-Pastor Tim