SURPRISE!

     "Surprise!"  That one word can strike fear into the heart of the most courageous person.  It can also bring the greatest amount of joy into the lives of others.  Of course, there are good surprises and bad surprises.  A good surprise might be in the form of an unexpected birthday party.  This kind of surprise is most effective if the object of the party is manipulated into thinking everyone has forgotten about this most special day.  A sour mood characterized by brooding, hint-dropping and general grumpiness is purposely manufactured by the subject's closest friends, then the surprise is sprung and the happiness meter spikes at ecstatic, a state that seems all the more euphoric because of the contrast with the earlier mood.  That's a great surprise.

     Other good surprises lack this sudden, totally unexpected element.  This would be a situation where a person is expecting something good, but the outcome exceeds expectations.  Have you ever watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?  The subjects of the show know they are getting a new home, yet they seem genuinely surprised when it is presented to them.  By the way, I would like to have a dollar for every time I have heard, "Oh, my God!" on that show.  Better yet, I'd like to never hear that phrase again.  Since most of us will never find ourselves in that kind of situation, maybe a more down to earth example would be appropriate.  How about running into an old friend at Costco?  Or, my wife's favorite, finding a ten-dollar bill in the pocket of a coat she hasn't worn for quite a while?  Those are nice surprises.

    Naturally, there are bad surprises as well.  The car breaking down without any previous warning, the sewer backing up, and a sudden realization your checking account is overdrawn because you made a mistake balancing the account would all qualify as bad surprises.  Lately, I have been surprised (maybe startled or scared would be better adjectives here) when I suddenly realized someone was standing right by me.  These are relatively mild bad surprises.  I'm sure you can all fill in the list of terrible or even horrible surprises that may have shaken the foundations of your lives.

       I've had many surprises in my life.  My brother and I were sent for a week to a summer camp.  When our folks picked us up, we learned they had moved while we were out of their way.  Surprise!  One evening the whole family gathered in my parents' bedroom to find out that my father was leaving.  Surprise!  One night in 1970, I asked a beautiful, intelligent, delightful young lady to marry me.  She told me she'd have to think about it.  Surprise!  Several years after we were married (yes, she decided that maybe I'd be an okay guy to marry), she told me we were having twins.  Surprise!  But before they had a chance to be born, one September night they were lost.  Surprise.  About a year later, our wonderful daughter was born; not much of a surprise really.  Two years after that we were definitely surprised to learn our son was on the way.  I like to remind him that he was not an "accident," but he was a surprise!  And each time we learned a new grandchild was on the way we were joyfully surprised!  These days we are continually surprised by their actions and words as they begin to express their individual personalities.  Blessings, every one.

    C.S. Lewis wrote a book entitled Surprised by Joy.  It has been quite awhile since I read it, but I remember his surprise at finally succumbing to God's call while trying to be true to his atheistic philosophy, and his surprise at this happening in the way that it did.  I also vaguely remember that his idea of true joy, derived from memories of his childhood prior to this mother's death, had to be redefined as he immersed himself in his studies.  This is one of those books I will put on my "read again" list.

      My point is that life is a succession of every kind of surprise.  But, as Lewis discovered, in spite of the happiness or sorrow that surprises bring to our lives, true joy can still be obtained by turning our lives over to God.  As I look back on every surprise in my life I can truly say that, given the opportunity, I would not eliminate any one of them.  Each has contributed to the molding of the man I am today.  Those bad, even horrible surprises challenged me to exercise lessons I had previously learned, grow in my ability to handle future stressful situations, and helped me appreciate the blessings in my life.  The delightful surprises in my life have served to encourage and reassure me that life is a gift from God worth living.  It is quite scary to contemplate who I would be if my life circumstances had been different.

    I currently have five above average grandchildren walking this earth, being trained to fulfill their purpose to love God and serve him.  But wait, there's another surprise: grandchild number six is on the way!  Not an accident, but a wonderful surprise! 

    One would think, after 43 years of commitment to him, that God's interventions in my life would cease to surprise me.  They haven't, and I hope they never will.  Knowing the future would be much more fearful than any surprise he has planned for me.  I choose gladly to live in anticipation of his undisclosed plan for my life.

    I would love to hear from you on this topic.  I anticipate some of you having some wonderful insights, whether in line with my way of thinking or contradictory.  I welcome both, and hope I can learn something from you.