Wonder: The God of Shock and Awe

Not long ago a friend called me “predictable.”I was horrified!  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, though none of those teams has made it easy lately.

Texas:  I know more wonderful facts about Texas than most people, and I am glad to share them with anyone who will listen.  Just last night I was able to predictably tell Texas stories to attentive friends.

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, 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.  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!

What about you? How has God surprised you recently?

C2013 Judy Douglass