2 of 2

The final surprise in this story was to be "headhunted," as we say nowadays, by my oldest Oxford friend, James Houston, to join the faculty of Regent College, Vancouver, of which he was the founder-principal. Nothing was further from my mind at that time than leaving England, despite some awkwardnesses there, and I had already turned down some invitations to relocate. But Principal Houston's approach led to a move into a situation in which I have spent, beyond all question, the best 28 years of my life so far. Finding that God was calling me to do what I can do as a British immigrant in Canada—British by genes, now Canadian by choice, as I sometimes express it—was startling, but has proved to be yet another of God's very happy surprises.

These were the turning points in my life that I reeled off to illustrate the truth that believers serve a God of happy surprises, which is what I sought to tell the meeting. Straight after I had finished, the program required us all to sing "All the Way My Savior Leads Me." Victorian hymns rarely do much for me (I am a Watts, Wesley, and Newton man), but, having through my own fault had to formulate on the fly and wing it verbally, and having, I thought, been helped in doing this, these words came as so true a theological interpretation of what I had just been through and the 63 years as a Christian that I had been talking about, that my heart was squeezed and I was almost in tears. In itself, the moment was yet another happy surprise, this time one of unexpected divine confirmation.

Paul, discipling converts, harps constantly on the virtue, duty, and (by implication) blessing of constant giving of thanks to God. "Be filled with the Spirit … always giving thanks to God the Father for everything" (). "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him … and overflowing with thankfulness" (). "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (). Paul himself, in all his hardships, found matter for repeated thanksgiving in the privilege of his own ministry (), in the work of grace that he saw through his evangelism, and in the churches' ongoing life.

Glum Christians who say they have not much to give thanks for are wrong. Some of the specifics of my experience, narrated above, are no doubt peculiar to me, but I cannot believe that the quality of my experience is in any way special. So I say: Look for the happy surprises, for they will help you to keep expressing proper gratitude to God all your days.

J. I. Packer is a senior editor for Christianity Today.

Copyright © 2008 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Previous articles by and about Packer include:

Packer Stomp | Beeson Divinity School hosts a tribute to J. I. Packer. (John Wilson, October 3, 2006)

The Bible's Authority: Faith on Unchanging Terms | J.I. Packer's short review of Who Owns the Bible. (June 5, 2007)

All Sins Are Not Equal | Question: Are all sins weighed equally, or is one more important than another? (J.I. Packer, January 2005)

first page |  2 of 2

share this page

March 2008, Vol. 52, No. 3