PREPARATION

After the presentation, he walked up to me, waited his turn to talk and then, with a determined look he stated, "I don't like surprises. I try to plan them out of my business and out of my life."

Then he turned and walked away.

Since that moment, four years ago, I have experienced hundreds of surprises, but then I haven't made it a life's mission to plan surprises out of my life. In fact, I relish the opportunity to plan them into my life.

There is surprise in every interruption, every frustration, every failure, and every crisis. So how does a person go about planning them out of life, anyway? And, if you could, you would miss God.

Surprises are celebrations of God's invisible presence, of HIS fingerprints. They glorify HIS planning and HIS delight. I am confident that our reactions to surprise give him joy, just as parents find joy in surprising their children.

From this side of eternity, the perception is that some surprises are exciting, riveting, and inspiring, while others are horrifying, devastating, and frightening. But, whether we like it our not, each surprise is a faith challenge--a look-for-God moment. 
 
Remember the deceitful and dishonorable Bible character named Jacob? He cheated to get his father's blessing--to inherit the family control and the money. He had little interest in the family God, but surprise was coming.

While on his way to find a wife, he camped for the night expecting to enjoy a restful night's sleep. After finding a rock to use as a pillow, he fell asleep and dreamed about an unusual stairway, one that reached from the earth up to heaven (like one of those escalators at airports). And he saw strange beings going up and down the stairway.

At the top of the stairway stood the his father's God, who spoke, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—-to the West and the East, to the North and the South. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!” Genesis 28 NLT

Now it was Jacob's God who spoke! Faith was born! And, it was a surprise.

INSPIRATION

Years ago Chuck Swindoll told an unforgettable tale of a father with a flare for surprises. It seemed this family from Montgomery, Alabama, had planned an exciting summer vacation, driving to California and camping up and down California's coastal Highway 1.

The boys had been talking about the trip for months; but now there would have to be a slight change of plans.

Dad announced that some unexpected problems had come up at work, and he would have to stay home (actually he planned the whole thing). But, he wanted them to go on without him. He would be with them in spirit. He knew where they would be at any given time; he even knew within an hour the exact time when they would cross the Great Divide.

The boys couldn’t believe it; Dad was going to miss the best trip ever. They weren’t sure Mom knew how to pitch the tent. Reluctantly they packed all the camping equipment into the Yukon and headed off on their great adventure, minus Dad.

Once they were out of sight Dad went to work. He spent the day taking care of details at work and at the house, and then he put his "surprise" plan into action. 

He flew to the Denver airport near where his family would be the next day. Once there, a friend picked him up and drove him to an area on the interstate 70 where his family would pass.

He sat just off the road on his sleeping bag and waited to see the familiar Yukon.

The youngest boy had called “shotgun” that morning early and was sitting in the front seat, passenger side, when he spotted a man that looked like his dad hitchhiking on the freeway.

“Mom, that guy looks like Dad!” he announced.

“Can’t be,” his brother mumbled, &ldquoad’s at home working and stuff.” Just as they were about to pass the hitchhiker the oldest boy looked up, recognized his Dad and cried out, “It is Dad, IT IS DAD! Mom, are we going to stop and pick him up?”
 
Mom hit the brakes, and Dad came running—-surprise complete and an unforgettable vacation launched.

MOTIVATION

Ask family and friends about times when they have been surprised. Then, invest some time looking for stories that tell about people who experienced faith surprises—-times when God directed the unexpected. But, before you leave the house, ask God to put a surprise or two in your path.

Expecting the unexpected is humbling and transforming. In the middle of your surprises you will find the ultimate surprise--the fingerprints of God.