You know what they say about well-laid plans—they often go wrong. This is as true in my life as I’m sure it is in yours. However, I’ve learned over the years that this isn’t such a bad thing. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about from one of this week’s many plans gone awry…

I needed gas in my vehicle, which happens more often than I wish it would. Anyway, as always, I’m crazy busy. I have one child who insists on a daily tennis match, another child to pick up from their summer athletic training for high school, and, of course, groceries, since my kids refuse to stop eating.

I swing by my usual gas station that’s on my way to the grocery store. I’ve used this plan on many occasions—it helps me kill two birds with one stone, if you know what I mean. As luck would have it—the pumps aren’t working correctly at the moment. If I want to use a credit card I have to run into the store, give the cashier an estimated amount I want to purchase, and then I can finally pump my gas. Nope. Nope. Nope. I see the line inside the store. There’s no way I have that much time, I’ll be late picking up that athletic daughter of mine.

I don’t get mad, it wouldn’t help anyway. I just leave and continue on with the rest of my planned morning. I’d have to find time to deal with the gas issue later.

After picking up my daughter I decide to go to a gas station that’s normally off the beaten path for me, but it’s closer to where I pick her up. I pull in, see the price, and do a fist pump. It’s four cents cheaper than where I planned to fill up in the first place. See, it’s okay when life doesn’t go as planned, especially when you don’t meltdown about it. Life has a way of making up those disappointments, often times with something extra special. So be patient and stay happy.