Our daughter-in-law’s alarm sounded at 4:00 a.m. a few Sundays ago. She needed to work on writing a grant, assigned to her on Friday and due the following Wednesday.
Of course, no time during the work-day had been provided. (How can bosses consider such directives appropriate?)
H. intended to accomplish several hours of work before church. But when she opened her laptop, a message proclaimed that a key code was needed.
WHAT key code?
H. checked her list of passwords; no code. And nothing she tried allowed her access. Finally she woke our son E., who’s quite computer-savvy. But he too was stymied.
H. got dressed and drove to her office to work there, frustrated by the time lost. E. continued his efforts to unlock the computer. He called Apple, but they couldn’t help without the code.
E. texted us to pray, then kept searching for a solution. About twenty minutes later he found what he called a back door, but still needed a password not on their lists.
“Lord, what might we have set as a password?” he prayed.
He sat for a few quiet moments, and suddenly, a scene from the first Ghostbusters movie popped into his head, when one of the characters used a password. E. typed it in:
And H.’s computer came back to life.
No doubt you tell stories of happy-surprises within your family, illustrating God’s attentiveness, generosity, power, and more.
But not all surprises fall into the “happy” category.
UNHAPPY SURPRISES
They also come in the form of cancer diagnoses, family members announcing a divorce, or the company’s decision to relocate you across the country.
Doubts of God’s attentiveness and power begin to fester. What then? Debbie Macomber would challenge us to:
And Charles Spurgeon offers this nourishing faith food:
“We have gone through many trials. They have never been to our detriment but always to our advantage . . . He who has been with us in six troubles will not forsake us in the seventh. What we have known of our faithful God proves that he will keep us to the end.”
MIXED-BAG SURPRISES
A third category of surprises includes those that cause delight and doubt.
For example:
L. had invited our family over for dinner a few weeks before we’d be moving across-state.
With her gift for interior design and crafting abilities, L. had created an inviting home. She showed me her guest room, recently refurbished and exuding a warm welcome, given the restful color-scheme, well-coordinated furniture, and attractive linens.
I oohed and aahed over L.’s surprise-display of her handiwork, truly happy for her success and the wherewithal to make it happen.
But I did wonder why she didn’t ask, “Nancy, are you feeling all right? You look a little green!”
Surely my face betrayed the envy in my heart for that beautiful room.
You see, we’d recently visited the parsonage* that our family of five would soon be living in—small, sorely lacking storage, with long-outdated furniture, and no color-scheme at all.
Not only was I struggling to say good-bye to a loving congregation, but also to the pleasant, new-to-us parsonage the current church had purchased and furnished just three years previously.
Perhaps you too have struggled, when others enjoy circumstances you desire. Again, the question arises:
What then?
Since that night in L.’s home I’ve learned:
That would include prayer for the person we envy, that they might flourish. No doubt you’ve heard “prayer changes things.” That includes the person praying.
In addition, we can be attentive to what God has supplied and express gratitude for all he is and all he does—like the unknown Puritan did who wrote this prayer:
“When I think upon and converse with Thee, ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up, ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed, ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart, crowding every moment of happiness.”
* * * * * * * * *
I praise you, God, for the numerous happy surprises you provide. And for those times when surprise comes through difficulty, I praise you for your ministering presence, providing wisdom, grace, and strength. May I be faithful to avail myself of your enablement.
*A home provided by a church for their pastor and family, sometimes furnished.
Image credits: http://www.pickpik.com; http://www.canva.com; http://www.freerangestock.com (Enieda Nieves); http://www.ropbymhome.com (Pierce Martin); http://www.canva.com; http://www.dailyverses.net.
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Is there hopefully a happy ending (or next steps) to this story, Nancy? Please don’t leave us hanging…
Blessings and prayers,
Bette
Are you referring to the less-than-adequate parsonage? Yes, there WAS a happy-surprise ending to that story! I was thinking about telling it in next week’s post. Your comment, Bette, affirms that others just MIGHT be interested. Thank you!
I loved all the stories you tell here that fit each category of surprises – good, bad and mixed bags. The quote from Charles Spurgeon is most comforting when those trials occur, and I could certainly identify with the feelings you experienced when having to leave your home because of your husband’s ministry. Praying sure does change our hearts and puts our focus in the right place, doesn’t it? And the story about your DIL’s dilemma with the password and your son figuring it out is nothing less than miraculous. Thanks, Nancy, for the inspiration you send our way every week! Blessings!
Thank you Martha for your encouragement. I agree that prayer does change our hearts, but on occasion for me it’s been a slow road of “monotonous plodding toward an elusive but promised grace.”* We learn steadfastness in the process, don’t we! (*That’s another quote from Karen Stiller’s book, The Minister’s Wife. I’m reading it currently and would highly recommend to anyone–not just ministers’ mates. Truly insightful, creatively written, and applicable to anyone.)
This is beautiful, Nancy. It flows with truth, wisdom, humility, and warmth. I can relate to everything you wrote. We never know what surprise God will have for us each day. I’m thinking of my own personal journey, of course, my sons, and a new diagnosis just brough to me yesterday of skin cancer (literally on top of the other?). At times when I feel “overloaded” with these surprises, or envy of how others seem to have a beautifully “designed and perfect” situation, I remember Jesus walking the dusty paths and relying only on His Father. Your DIL’s password situation and the P.L.E.A.S.E. helps me remember that the password truly is PRAY! “Loving and gracious Father, I give everyone and everything to YOU. Jesus, I love you with all my being. It is a privilege to suffer with you. To have the Spirit work THROUGH me. I stand ON YOU, I want you to work THROUGH me, IN me, and WITH me. Father, thank you for Nancy and her precious family. For their ministry and all the sacrifices they’ve made. Because of you, I’m reading her words of inspiration and I know she loves you like I do. Keep us focused on what matters–our heads and eyes forward and up–and down and around to talk to you constantly, to keep our thoughts and motives on you. I PRAISE you for the happy surprises of life, flowers blooming, Nancy, her blog, my family, friends, and ALL you’ve done to give me heaven on Earth. We love you and trust you, gracious Father.” Nancy, I needed this today! God bless you so much, precious friend. ❣️❣️🙏🏻
Dear Karla, I’m SO sorry you’ve been diagnosed with skin cancer–on top of the other, just as you’ve said. It does NOT seem fair! Kudos to you for praising God nonetheless, even trusting in him to the point of suffering for him. The Spirit is INDEED working through you, proven by the number of people you minister to over at your blog. I admire your faith, perseverance, and positivity, given all you’ve faced and continue to face. Your light shines bright, my friend!
That’s so precious, Nancy! I want you to know how much YOU inspired me today, my friend. May faith lead us always! I’m sending hugs and gratitude for our time together today!
Hugs and gratitude back to you, Karla!🥰
Amen. Prayer is the key to answers. Have a blessed day! 🙂
Thank you, Melissa. Today HAS been blessed–we’ve enjoyed sunshine, our neighbor’s daffodils through the kitchen window, and my husband went to the grocery store for us (which he most often does). Now I pray you also are enjoying a blessed day!
Very good post! In life, there is both sunshine and shadows for us all. When we can find the sunlight in any given situation, we are immediately uplifted. God is with us at all times. It is His light that finds us in the shadows when we feel defeated. It is His light that fills us in our deepest joy. I believe that there are little surprises all the time from our Heavenly Father. Every single one says, “I love you.”
Another great post, Nancy! I love how you are able to take a subject and break it down into different pieces that all join together in the end.
Your daughter-in-law and son are good role models for praying while actively trying to resolve a problem. Many pray and ask God for help without taking any action-like a farmer who prays for an abundant harvest, but doesn’t plant anything. Great post, Nancy! 🙂
what a thoughtful post and one to slowly digest. I have often said we have an amazing God of surprises!
I had a pleasant surprise recently. I called cousin to see how his recent surgery had gone. During our conversation I mentioned that I was having problems signing an insurance form online. He told me to try a different browser and surprise! It worked. Praise the Lord because He answered my prayer. (I am not exactly technically proficient.)
Great post, Nancy – with such nuggets of wisdom. A great reminder that all things come from His hands, even those that seem negative. Have a blessed day!
Great post Nancy. Your words made me reflect on where my thoughts have been lately and I was reminded to me keep praying, thanking God and not focusing on comparing with another’s situation as it can lead only to despondency. I try and remind myself that God, it is with intent this situation is where I find myself, help me to walk through this and feel you walking with me through it all. Easier said than done, but pursuing Him through it all is the best option.
Your words are always filled with so much hope and comfort. Prayer has been high on my priority list as I grow older. I know from experience that it helps. We may not be answered in the way we would like, but we can be sure that God’s timeline doesn’t always align with ours. Still, we can be sure that His plan is always designed for our good.
Indeed, prayer does change things! What a wonderful, encouraging post, Nancy!