The Element of Surprise

When I was in high school, I made a pact with my newfound best friend that we would both throw each other a surprise birthday party sometime in our lives. The idea of a surprise party made me giddy! The air of anticipation, the coming together of people who love you, the truth that friends care enough about you to think of the sneakiest and best way to surprise you...and then are good enough friends to keep the secret.

Let's face it: you have to be known real well for someone to pull off a surprise for you. They not only have to know what will surprise you, but they have to know what will delight you and how to craft the surprise just so.

Over the span of pre- and post- Advent season, two of my favorite bloggers, Russ Ramsey at the Rabbit Room and Ryan Brazile in Madagascar wrote on the very topic of surprise...and more importantly, of surprise as a unique Kingdom experience. You could continue reading this post, or just as easily read those two men's accounts and get the same effect.

Russ writes of the time he had the privilege of witnessing a surprise birthday celebration for a friend that was organized by this friend's wife. He goes on to talk about the story of the angels visiting the shepherds in the fields outside Bethlehem - where one angel delivers the message, followed by a multitude singing "Glory to God in the highest!":

"It was as if one angel had been chosen to bring the news of Jesus' coming to the shepherds, so the others said, 'Alright, but as soon as you spit it out, we're bursting in - because this is the greatest news ever!' It was as though they were waiting behind the celestial corner of heaven's door, and as soon as they were able they rushed in to celebrate what God was doing."

He goes on to say:

"One thing [the surprise party] awakened in me...is that in this life I am being led by the hand of God through the concert hall that is this world, and one day he will lead me to the stairs, and together we will ascend. God only knows what I will find there, but I'm certain my reaction will be something like, 'You got me. Wow. Look at all these faces of the people I love. Wow!"

Our God is a God who delights in surprises.

Ryan writes about why we love surprises so much. As he said,

"Perhaps it is the joy of thinking, 'You are about to be far happier than you realize."...'I was thinking about you and planning this party/gift/surprise when you weren't even aware. You were being loved behind the scenes the whole time, even when you thought everyone had forgotten your birthday/anniversary/you in general.'...Sometimes we surprise people people to give them something they would be too shy or timid to ask for because they never thought we would actually give it."

How true, right? But as I said, our God is a God who delights in surprises. For as Ryan points out,

Perhaps it is His joy in thinking, 'You are about to be far happier than you realize."...'I was thinking about you and planning this joy/grace/act of love when you weren't even aware. You were being loved behind the scenes all along, even when you doubted and thought I had forgotten your need/prayer/you in general.'...Sometimes He surprises us in order to give us something we would be too shy or timid or shortsighted to ask for because we never thought He would actually give it or even be able to give it."

I've been through seasons of surprise in my life - over friends, jobs, provisions, plans - and often shame myself for being surprised. Shouldn't I expect God to do great things? Why do I continue to be at such a loss for words?

It's because my God is a God of surprises. He knows me more deeply than anyone on earth and knows how to delight me.

That's why the Lord carefully plans my life, allowing me to only see small glimpses of His grace and glory as it unfolds. That is why He teaches me expectant patience in the waiting. He delights in my unexpected joy.

Here's to more and more days of surprises and glimpses of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.