Disruptive routines
The idea of making plans has been on my mind lately as I continue to ponder my summer plans. In May, the Tyler family begins to decide which destinations to travel to, which typically includes stops to play music with friends. In the old-time music world, there are many music festivals happening in May through September. Some festivals involve camping, and others involve hotels or inns. There is always a lot to pack and plan for.
I was raised by a group of incredible musicians and have fond memories of playing music together, sharing in potlucks, and sitting in folding chairs as the music echoes around us. Our festival season kicks off with a music gathering in Lanesboro, Minn. during the third weekend in May. It’s likely you’ll hear me whistle a tune that’s stuck in my head at random times throughout the summer.
Yet, despite the new memories that I make each year, the feelings of the tension about planning and packing still arise. There is the packing of my car—what am I going to forget this year? There is also the debate whether to either try and set up a tent that I haven’t touched in over a year or, what I really want to do, grab my guitar and find some friends to hang out with.
Once the trip begins, the feeling of eager anticipation hops in the car and rides with us to our destinations. Yet, there is also the discomfort that traveling can bring. Traveling is often unpredictable. We accept the possibility of something going awry because sometimes, things don’t go according to our plans. We open ourselves to the unpredictability of trips because you never know what’s really going to happen. Traveling is disruptive because we aren’t following the routines we establish in the comforts of our homes.
Yet, these new experiences aren’t exclusive to traveling. Even at home, summer may bring a lot of new routines, and disruptions to normal routines as school ends, the weather changes, and days look a little different. As some routines pause until the fall, think of how you encounter God when you’re out of the rhythms you’re used to.
God doesn’t disappear when our typical routines change. God is along for the ride however routines shift and sometimes surprises us in subtle or big ways along the way. God’s excited to see how we open ourselves to the many ways of encountering God and one another in our old and new routines.
