Surprise!

"Soccer is the best sport," I said, and my friend replied, “Judy, you are so predictable!” Oh no!  Distressing!  I don’t want to be predictable.   I want to be surprising! Yes, I am predictable about some things: Sports:  I follow the Longhorns, Cowboys, Magic faithfully.  But I like soccer best (I actually coached my daughters) and love to follow the US Women’s Team. Texas:  I know more wonderful facts about Texas than most people, and I am glad to share them with anyone who will listen. My mission:  to encourage God’s children to be and do all God has for them—to never settle for less than God’s best! And especially I am a champion for God’s daughters, his ezers. My family:  I pray for, love on, spend time with, listen to, encourage, give gifts to, babysit for, shop for--my husband, my kids and their kids. My Jesus:  I love Him, trust Him, depend on Him, serve Him, talk to and about Him.  He is my life—and I wish I did all of these things more consistently. But after these predictabilities, I am a fan of the unpredictable.  I love surprises—especially nice ones.  I don’t want do the above in the same old way.  New ideas, new visions, new approaches. Predictable is boring, and I consider boring a 4-letter word.  If I look for the open door, the opportunity, the surprise twist, the daunting challenge, there is no time or place to be bored. I want to make lots of room for shock and awe-- especially with God. He is the ultimate in unpredictability.   He is master of the unexpected—sometimes I love His surprises, other times I don’t.   Sometimes He takes my breath away; other times He wraps me in comfort and peace. But always, He has that surprise twist:  He stuns me as He achieves His perfect good through even the most difficult situations. (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28). He tells me to anticipate His surprises:    “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”  I have no idea what He might do! May I always be filled with wonder at the ways of God! How has God surprised you recently? c2011 Judy Douglass