Miss Ruby Has a Game Plan

Miss Ruby had barely settled into her chair when Ethel called.

“Are you watching the game?”

“Of course,” Miss Ruby said. “I’ve been giving this coach advice for twenty minutes. He hasn’t listened yet.”

On the television, the players gathered while the announcer talked about changing the game plan.

That caught Miss Ruby’s attention.

After they hung up, she looked at the calendar beside her chair. September was almost gone. There were appointments written in the little squares, but very few things she was looking forward to.

“Well,” she said, “apparently the coach isn’t the only one who needs a plan.”

She went to the kitchen and found a notebook.

At the top of a clean page, she wrote: Miss Ruby’s October Game Plan.

Her first idea was to walk every morning, clean every closet, cook something new each week, and finally organize all those photographs.

She studied the list.

“Who wrote this? A woman with three assistants?”

Miss Ruby crossed out a few things and started again.

Call someone I miss.

Take a short walk when I feel up to it.

Choose five photographs and write the names on the back.

Plan something fun with Ethel and Lawrence.

That looked better.

The next morning, Ethel came over and spotted the notebook.

“Are we joining a football team?”

“No,” Miss Ruby said. “But you’ve been assigned to refreshments.”

Ethel laughed, then pulled out a chair.

Together, they decided on a Saturday afternoon of soup, cornbread, and a card game. Lawrence could come, too—as long as he understood that being a guest did not excuse him from helping with the dishes.

Miss Ruby circled the date on her calendar. It felt good to have something there besides an appointment.

Later, she paused to pray. She asked God to guide her plans and help her notice the good already around her. Proverbs 16:9 reminded her that she could make plans while trusting the Lord to direct her steps.

She knew October might not go exactly as she hoped. Some days would call for rest. Plans might change.

Still, she could begin with one small thing.

Miss Ruby closed the notebook and smiled.

Then she turned the game back on.

“Now,” she told the coach, “let’s see about your situation.”

A Moment to Reflect: What is one thing you would like to look forward to in October? Choose a small step you can take to make it happen.