Just Moms

Surprise!!

Surprises come in all forms. Some are good, some are bad. Some fill you with joy and hope. Some only leave you feeling sad. Gee, I feel a poem coming on. LOL

Has anyone ever yelled “SURPRISE!” to you? Ok, when people are yelling that at us, usually it’s a good thing. I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone yell “SURPRISE!” when it was bad news! And that’s probably for the best!

Good surprises:
-Birthday Party
-Anniversary Party
-New Baby
-Unexpected pay raise
-Unexpected job offer
-Flowers from your husband for no reason
-Getting “just because” card in the mail from a friend

Not-So-Good surprises:
-Loss of a loved one
-Sudden illness
-Bad news from the doctor
-Car accident
-Loss of a job

As you can see, surprises can vary greatly. But one thing is certain – you can’t prepare for them!

TRUE surprises don’t come with hints and warnings before hand. It’s not like a 50th birthday party or a piece of jewelry you’ve wanted for Mother’s Day. While those things are nice and they are special, they are not the same as a totally, 100% unexpected event (surprise).

So how do you handle the unexpected?

My daughter is a first-born and therefore has those first-born characteristics. One of her struggles is handling the unexpected. She likes things planned out and organized. She likes routine. And she hates it when things are off. (and I know a few adults who are this way too!)

Well, today she was put to the test.

She is part of a MIME group. And today they had a performance. They had to be at the church at 8:20. Well, she hasn’t been to the practices in a few weeks because of things going on, and she didn’t know about this performance. So my husband is waking me up at 7:40 (I’m not a morning person, by the way!) and I was taken back to who was on the phone. (Because my friends know better to call that early! LOL) One of the girls from MIME was on the phone asking if we knew about the presentation today. And I replied with “No. What time is it at?” Well, she goes on to tell me that they need to be there at 8:20. Well, by now it’s 7:45 and my daughter takes after me (not a morning person either) and I’m realizing that I’m going to have to wake her up. Not something I looked forward to. LOL Not only did I not look forward to waking her up, but I worried about how she would react when I told her about this “surprise” performance. Well, we woke her up, and after a little bit of “how can I get ready? I don’t know what songs they are doing”, etc… she shook it off, got ready, and was out the door. I was so proud of her!

My daughter handled her “unexpected surprise” with maturity. How do YOU handle it yourself?

Granted, her “surprise” is not the same as the things that many of us have to deal with. Each of us will have a different “level” of “surprise” in our lives. For some it can be something small like having a bad day. For others it can be something much harder like bad news fromt he doctor. Regardless of the “surprise severity” we need to react with Godly maturity.

Our first reaction may be “shock” and we may say the first things that pop into our heads. And I think that is normal. But after that initial shock wears off, we need to respond with maturity.

My daughter’s initial response was to question things. But after the “surprise” sunk in, she was able to get herself together and do what needed to be done.

Are you dealing with a “surprise” in your life?

If so, are you still in the initial shock phase?
Are you handling your surprise with spiritual maturity?

No matter what the surprise is in our lives, let me remind you of one thing:

IT IS NOT A SURPRISE TO GOD!!!

What may be a surprise to us, is part of God’s perfect providence!

Isn’t it wonderful, comforting, and reassuring to know that whatever happens in our lives that God is in it?

-We may be bewildered and confused, but God is still sovereign!
-Our faith may be shaken, but God is not moved.
-Our plans may seem to fail, but God’s providence proves true.

Surprises will happen. Things will change and plans will fail. But our faith must never be shaken. We may not respond to the “not-so-good surprises” by jumping in the air, but we can respond to them by falling to our knees.

So today I encourage you to look at your life. See if there are still some “shocking surprises” in your life that you just can’t get past. If so, then bring them before the Lord. Pray that He will strengthen your faith and continue to grow you in Him.

Surprises from the Lord are always for our own good!