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Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; Therefore, I will hope in him!" The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him.
LAMENTATIONS 3:23-25
Day 16
My friend Cherise hates surprises. Last year after some girlfriends threw her a surprise birthday party, she admitted to me, "It was sweet of them, but my heart sank when I walked in the door and everyone yelled, 'Surprise!' I wish they'd have told me about it instead."
Surprises are sometimes good and sometimes bad. But God assures us, as Christians, that no matter what happens, he is "wonderfully good." He encourages us to look for his mercies each day. So don't let God's surprises pass you by. Keep an eye out for them!
Looking for God's Surprises
"Mom, are we going to Dayville for the Fourth of July?" my son, Tyler, asks, planning his summer.
"Oh yes!" I assure him. "Dayville's the only place I ever want to be on the Fourth."
Though I've never lived there, the tiny town of Dayville, Oregon, is my mother's birthplace and where I spent most summers and holidays as a child. Although it has barely two hundred residents, it glitters like a colossal sparkler on the Fourth of July.
The day kicks off with a cross-country horse race and ends with fireworks in the park. In between are barbeques, a mini rodeo, and everyone's favorite—the parade down Main Street, complete with floats, crepe-paper streamers, balloons, and tons of candy tossed out to the bystanders.
Since a parade can't very well be held amidst traffic, the townspeople simply clock off the road—which also happens to be State Highway 26. When the parade ends, the roadblocks are removed, and traffic is finally allowed to drive through town. Every year we clap and cheer for each car, as if they, too, are part of the parade.
Most travelers enjoy participating in this unexpected slice of Americana. They'll give us their best beauty-pageant wave as we cheer. Some, however, irritated over the delay, pointedly ignore us.
One year, when an unusually grumpy couple drove through, my brother tossed several pieces of his collected candy into their rolled-down window, startling the couple with an unexpected treat. A few moments later, they grinned sheepishly and returned our waves. From then on, tossing candy to travelers became a family tradition.
As I look forward to another Fourth of July in Dayville, I think of the travelers whose holiday plans will take them down Highway 26—and the annual roadblock. Will they relax and enjoy the unexpected experience—or will they be so concerned with their schedule they'll miss the quaint pleasure of a small-town celebration?
God's surprises remind us of who's in control.
He knows us better than we do, and he wants
us to give our relationships—the beginnings,
middles, and endings—to him.
ELIZABETH CODY NEWENHUYSE
Like those travelers, I often miss the surprises God tosses my way when I'm too focused on my own agenda. When my son asks me to ride bikes, will I cheat myself out of sharing his excitement over the new trail he's found because I'm too concerned about my to-do list to take the time? Or when I turn down a friend's lunch invitation because I'm too busy, will I miss being the first to hear her ecstatic announcement "I'm pregnant!"?
The Dayville parade is my annual reminder to "lighten up" and be more flexible in all areas of my life. And it's taught me to be on the lookout for God's surprises. Perhaps the woman spreading out her checkered cloth next to mine at the Fourth of July picnic will be a new friend—if I take time to introduce myself. And maybe I'm the surprise he has for her!
—Mayo Mathers
A STEP FURTHER
Surprising Strategies
1. Build "flex" time into your schedule. Then when surprises happen, they won't throw you.
2. Start a "Surprising Results" jar. When a surprise occurs, good or bad, write it down on a slip of paper. Put it in the jar, and then record what happens later. You'll be amazed to see how God works everything for good (Rom. 8:28)!
3. Spring some loving surprises on others. Take a discouraged friend her favorite dessert, or accompany a child to a carnival. The more you do "spontaneous" things yourself, the less disturbed you'll be when your own plans are interrupted.
4. Decide how you'll respond before a surprise—good or bad—threatens to sidetrack you. Carrying a notecard in my wallet with writer Oswald Chamber's words "We live by God's surprises" reminds me to handle surprises with an eternal perspective.
—RCT
Faith Focus
How do you handle God's surprises? Do you eagerly anticipate them, knowing they'll help you grow? Or are you like some of Dayville's travelers, annoyed because they interrupt your carefully made plans? How can you accommodate your schedule to allow time for the unexpected?
Prayer Pointer
Thank God for making you and for
knowing you so well that he un-
derstands what surprises you can
handle. Ask him to help you be
gracious rather than grumpy, to
be heavenly minded instead of
earthly minded. Renew your com-
mitment to trust everything—
surprises included—to God's care.
 The 30 Days Series is a 3 book set offering 30 thought provoking daily devotions each. Each day's lesson offers a Scripture passage, short message or story, quote for the day, tips on implementing the lesson, and a suggested prayer.
These 30 day devotionals are powerful little books that you won't want to be without. Order the 3 book set or pick from the 3 individual titles.
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Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc. All rights reserved. Excerpted from 30 Days to a More Incredible Relationship with God, by Ramona Cramer Tucker, pages 92-97. Used by permission. For reprint information call 630-260-6200.
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