Mama said…“ Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.”

I heard a phrase leaving church recently that I hadn’t heard in a while. As we were saying our goodbyes, a friend said she would see me next week and then added, “Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.”

I smiled immediately.

There are certain sayings that can transport you back in time faster than an old photograph, and that is one of them. I grew up hearing some version of, “Lord willing and the creek don’t rise,” whenever plans were being made.

It wasn’t necessarily a prediction of rain. It was simply a reminder that we could make all the plans we wanted, but circumstances might have something else in mind. Mama’s generation understood that.

Before weather apps, GPS and calendars that send reminders to our watches, people knew plans could change. A hard rain really could swell a creek and make a road impassable. A sick child, a broken-down car or any number of unexpected problems could turn tomorrow’s carefully made plans upside down.

So you planned — but you left a little room for life.

There is also a bit of faith tucked into the longer version: “Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.” It acknowledges something we sometimes forget in our highly scheduled lives. We aren’t in control of nearly as much as we think we are.

That doesn’t mean Mama believed in sitting around waiting to see what happened. Quite the opposite. You prepared, showed up and did what you said you would do. You just understood that occasionally the creek rises.

Maybe that is why hearing the phrase outside church made me smile. In just a few words, that lady had brought back a whole way of looking at life. Make your plans. Keep your promises. Do your best to get where you said you’d be. But when something beyond your control changes the plan, adjust and keep going.

Some of Mama’s sayings sound old-fashioned today, but the wisdom behind them holds up pretty well. Thanks to the friends who share the sayings we may have forgotten.

I’ll keep sharing as long as the Lord’s willing — and the creek don’t rise.

What Mama said: Life lessons you didn’t know you needed—until Mama said them.

Enjoyed this article. Read more What Mama Said… by Susan Espiritu.

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