Bethany Community Church

I would categorize myself as one who is not an admirer of surprises. I don’t care for surprise parties, or many unexpected things in general–nevertheless, life is full of surprises. God keeps showing me that life has to be lived trusting Him, and that His way is better than mine. For example, John and I found out that we are going to have a baby this May. It came to us as a major surprise! Previously, I struggled with quite a bit of anxiety about and fear of pregnancy, everything from morning sickness to labor. Yet so far, I haven’t had any nausea to speak of. How good the Lord has been to us! And what a joy it is to be expanding our family. I am so thankful my initial “plan” to wait longer out of fear was subdued by the Lord’s plan and His timing for us. This stage of my life has been such a clear testimony to how God is working despite our fears and how He even trades our fears for faith.

Another recent surprise in my life came in the area of my family’s housing situation. We moved into a cute, little one bedroom apartment last summer, knowing that it would help us save money and that we didn’t need much space anyway. Well, with a baby on the way and extended family coming to visit from out of state, a second bedroom started sounding pretty nice! I have been praying for the last few months for some specific and crazy things such as two bedrooms and two levels. Though I was praying for specific preferences, I was more than willing to take any two-bedroom place in our price range, which we all know can be quite the challenge in Seattle! To my surprise, I looked at a townhouse yesterday that is exactly what I have been dreaming of. I don’t think this is by coincidence! I have to admit I believed that God would provide, but I also knew it could mean that provision would come in the form of my contentment with staying in our small apartment. Instead, finding this townhouse has been a wonderful surprise and blessing.

I was reading my sister’s blog this morning and they were surprised to wake up to November snow on the ground in North Carolina. It made me think about my recent reflections, even about the weather. A sunny day, a peaceful snowfall, a beautiful sunset—we cannot plan these things. The truth is I can “plan” out my day, but I really have no idea what the day will hold. A meaningful conversation with a co-worker, a hug from a child, an encouraging word from a friend, a crisp fall walk in the sunshine could all be unplanned joys of a day.

Not all surprises are good ones—a heart attack, finding out you have cancer, a harsh word, and many more. No one plans that either. But all of these surprises remind me of what Christ said: “Do not worry about your life saying, ‘What will we eat? Or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the pagans eagerly seek all of these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all of these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself” (Matthew 6:31-34a).