Surprise!

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

James 4:14–15

Spontaneity in life can be exciting. It can be fun to explore and discover new things, never knowing where we are going or what we will be doing. Other aspects of life tend to be planned. Appointments and phone calls can dictate what happens during the day. But sometimes life can take a turn that was not on the schedule. A failing grade. An illness. A job loss. An addition to the family.

In life, unexpected—and unfortunate—things often happen. They might not be caused by anything we, or anyone else, said or did. We live in a fallen world and life happens. However, we do not have to let this interruption sideline us. We have a choice: resist and fight the unexpected circumstance, or accept it and persevere.

To persevere, one of the first things we can do is stop, take a breather, and pray, so that we avoid reacting in an unbiblical way. We can take a moment to call on the God of the universe, remembering that he has not been blindsided. Then, take a moment to step back and look at the situation. What are the options? Should we ask someone we trust to consider the situation and offer advice? During this time, we continue to seek the Lord and see if he is leading us in a direction. Lastly, we do not ignore the unexpected situation we find ourselves dealing with. Ignoring or denying the situation can make things worse. Being active in working toward a solution is a productive and healthy response.

When life surprises, we can resist and possibly miss what God has for us, or accept the detour and face the new road with a sense of adventure with God.

The strength of patience hangs on our capacity to believe that God is up to something good for us in all our delays and detours.

John Piper

Each day holds a surprise. But only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us. Let’s not be afraid to receive each day’s surprise, whether it comes to us as sorrow or as joy. It will open a new place in our hearts, a place where we can welcome friends and celebrate more fully our shared humanity.

Henri Nouwen

For Further Reflection

Psalm 31:15; Proverbs 16:9

Today’s Prayer

Father, as I embrace this surprise, help me to stay focused on you. Help me to relinquish any plans or ideas that do not match yours. Amen.