How God's Been Surprising Me Lately (Including One of the Weirdest Things I've Ever Found in My Yard!)
/
Photo by ricardo eira on unsplash
Surprise! This word has rolling around in my heart and mind lately. I’ve been thinking about how God is the God of surprises.
He surprised Pharaoh’s daughter with an infant in a basket made of papyrus (Exodus 2).
He surprised Moses with a burning bush (Exodus 3).
He surprised Samuel with a still small voice in the quiet of night (1 Samuel 3).
He surprised Mary with the news that she was going to have a baby (Luke 1).
He surprised the shepherds with good news of great joy (Luke 2).
He surprised His disciples by multiplying bread and fish and calming a storm (Matthew 14).
God wants to surprise us. He wants to satisfy our deepest desires and amaze us with His goodness. He wants to do this in big and small ways. He wants to surprise us with financial provision, solutions to relational and health problems, and advancement in our goals and dreams. But He also wants to surprise us on our walk to the mailbox or as we put away groceries. He wants to reveal little tokens of affection that delight your soul and let you know He’s thinking of you.
Here are a few things that have surprised and delighted my soul lately:
Hearing the doorbell ring and finding my nephews on my front porch.
Receiving an invitation to be part of the blog editorial team at a magazine I’ve written for.
Finding a trio of tiny forest snails clinging to dry leaves under a spruce tree.
Finding tiny magenta wildflowers blooming in the cleft of a rock in Denali Park in (still very cold) early May.
Finding a moose skull under a tree while exploring in the woods with my nephews (I know, this is weird, but my nephews were very excited by this!)
Catching sight of a lynx climbing a rocky bluff.
What have you been surprised by lately? Money in the mail? An unexpected phone call from an old friend? A flower blooming in an unusual place?
Whether the surprises have been big or small, treasure them and remember: God is thinking of you, He loves you tenderly, and He wants you to give you joy every day.
If you feel like you haven’t had any happy surprises lately, keep your eyes open in the coming days. Ask God to show you how and where He is tucking little pockets of goodness into your day. Sometimes we have to slow down to catch the surprise.
With love,
Meditate
Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Grace to you, young woman, for the Lord is with you and so you are anointed with great favor.”
Mary was deeply troubled over the words of the angel and bewildered over what this may mean for her. But the angel reassured her, saying, “Do not yield to your fear, Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift.”
Luke 1:28-30 (TPT)
I want to hear from you!
How have you been surprised lately? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!
(Note: if you would like to be notified of any replies to your comment, click the "subscribe via email" button above the comment box. This will not subscribe you to my email list, just the comment feed.)
P.S.
I wrote this post because I’m on a mission to encourage and equip women to live the life of faith, passion, and purpose that we were made for. You can help make a difference by sharing this post with a friend (or friends!) who you think would be encouraged or inspired by it. Thanks!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, with no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
...Is it time to say goodbye to something in your life? Leaving can be hard because it can feel like losing—and sometimes it does come with a loss.
But so often what we let go of is vastly outweighed by what we gain when we open our hands in trust...