My absolute favorite thing is to be surprised. Those who know me well know that is one of the quickest ways to bring a smile to my face. And my family and friends have pulled off some pretty epic surprises in the past.
My papaw Jack was the absolute best at surprising me. One Christmas when I was a kid, he dressed up like Santa Claus, complete with his bleach-white beard and all-natural belly. He emerged from the hallway with a loud “HO, HO, HO!”. I will never forget my wide-eyed shock of seeing Santa right there in my living room. I am sure my face was priceless!
Another favorite was when I was a teenager, my papaw along with my parents surprised me with a Christmas gift I never expected. My mom had creatively wrapped up a Christmas box with a license plate and a key taped to it. Outside waiting for me in the driveway was my 1988 VW Cabriolet convertible! I already knew my family loved me, and they didn’t need to get me a car to prove it, yet they proved their love with a sweet surprise I will never forget.
Our Heavenly Father is perfect, with perfect gifts, and perfect love. His surprises are far better than cars, Santa suits and other fun little gifts. He is constantly surprising us with His love and kindness and the proof of His faithfulness in ways we could never dream up. His surprises may come by way of an unexpected friendship, a new job opportunity, or maybe something as simple as (my personal favorite) a rainbow on a rainy day.
There have been times in my relationship with Jesus where I doubted His presence or His activity amidst my seemingly massive mountain of problems or given up hope in those dry desert seasons of waiting. But He has always shown up, often sending me a surprise in the form of a beautiful rainbow in the sky.
What about you? What are some of your favorite surprises? I have learned that some of my most memorable and favorite surprises were the “simple” gifts -- small personal reminders of love from my family or a friend, but all ultimately from my Savior.
James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow." Every good thing in your life is because of the love of Jesus Christ. Let's choose to see His blessings with fresh eyes and see His daily goodness as sweet surprises. So every time we see something like a rainbow in the sky (my personal favorite) we will remember the love of our Heavenly Father. If you intentionally look for His faithful love, I promise He will never fail to surprise you with His goodness.
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