Broken Appointments and Unexpected Gifts By Dr. Mark L. Vincent

Appointments Disrupted May Bring Delight

A winter morning a few years ago brought glare ice and the inability to travel and honor the face-to-face appointments scheduled for the day. Coming back inside after a fruitless attempt to leave our driveway, we learned that not only was our internet out, but our cell phones needed that internet to place a call, and our landline did not include the long-distance service we needed.

We were given the gift of a reading day. What a wonderful choice to embrace the possibility rather than chafe at the inconvenience.

Good to Prepare

The need for MULTIPLE backup systems becomes increasingly important in this data-intensive era. Our simple set of circumstances blew through several modes of communication. Imagine this happening on the scale that affects an entire organization rather than just our household! Happen it does. Happen it will.

Better to Embrace

The ability to shift and pirouette without losing one’s balance saves many a day. Manufacturers do this when machines are down—by cleaning workspaces, addressing deferred maintenance, or updating inventory. Nonprofits and ministry organizations update strategic plans, devote time to deep cleaning of facilities—everyone rolling up their sleeves and working together —or catch up on handwritten donor correspondence.

We redeemed our day with some housecleaning, reading, sharing meals, and the handwritten thoughts in my journal that became this blog post.

Unexpected Can Be Best

Underneath it all is the ability to remain cheerful in these moments. The day was not ruined. It just became a different day. This calls to mind these words from a morning prayer found in the Book of Common Prayer:

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“…You have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose….”

Amen

​Mark L. Vincent, PhD, CCNL, EPC, is an Executive Advisor and founding member of the Sage Group Collective. He co-facilitates the most recent Maestro-level Leaders Cohort with Andrew Stern and in partnership with the Christian Leadership Alliance. His most recent book, The Maestro Effect, details the Maestro-level Leaders approach.

Make fall team development time. Bring them all to the Outcomes Conference Global Digital Experience: September 1 – October 31, 2026.