By Caitlin, Rope contributor

Do you ever wish life had a checklist? I do. I love lists. They keep me focused and let me know how much I have left to do throughout the day before I can kick back and relax.

I happen to make lists for everything: things to do around the house, homework I still need to finish, groceries I need to buy. You name it, I have a list of it on my refrigerator. My favorite thing about lists is getting to check items off once I’ve finished them. Sometimes I even write down something I did after I did it, just so I can check it off. Ridiculous, I know. Make fun of me all you want, but it just makes me feel better about my life to check things off a to-do list.

Funny thing about life — There is no checklist. I know, very profound.

I used to wish this were not the case. That I would get up in the morning and God would have provided me with a list of things that would happen to me that day and I could check them off as I went along.

I would never forget to run an errand or to call somebody on their birthday. And while He is at it, if God could provide me with a list of things that are going to go wrong, I would really appreciate that too. Like when I leave my cup of coffee on my roof to open my car door and then forget about it until it is streaming down my windshield.

But, there is no checklist and God does not warn you when you are going to have to drive down the interstate while wiping coffee off your windshield, crying because it is 8:30 and your day is already going badly.

It’s kind of great though isn’t it? I mean, sure, God doesn’t always warn us when things are going to go wrong, but He also allows really good things to happen even though we don’t always deserve it. He can take the worst possible situation and turn it into something wonderful.

I guess there is a reason God doesn’t give us checklists or allow us to see the future. It sometimes frustrates me — more often than I would like to admit — but I am learning that He probably knows what He is doing more than I do, and that I can live without the lists.