Surprise! That’s what my brother and sister yelled out from behind the curtain when I came through my hospital room door last Saturday. It wasn’t a complete surprise; I knew they were coming to visit me in the hospital (more below on that), but they arrived before I could return from one of my multiple trips to X-Ray/Radiology. Still, it was fun to celebrate with a cheer of “Surprise.”
Do you like surprises? Only if they bring good news, right? Surprise! You’re getting a raise. Surprise! The medical tests came out great! Surprise! Your child called just to tell you he loves you. We all like those kind of surprises!
During my transplant consultation in Iowa City last Friday, the doctor looked at my lab results and decided (surprise) I needed to have emergency inpatient admission THAT very day for a day or more. We hadn’t come prepared to be admitted and besides, we thought it more reasonable to be treated closer to home if really needed. Surprise! Because of the complexity of my issues, the hospital in Des Moines wouldn’t admit me. Then further tests resulted in (surprise!) my stay will be 5-6 days … Or more.
Now, a Spirit-led response would have been to to take a calming breath and ask for God’s leading. It might have been like a novel I read years ago, where a faithful couple were in their humble home and heard a knock on the door. The wife answered the door and called nonchantly to her Spirit-filled husband saying, “Henry, the Angel of the Lord is here to see you.” No fear or sudden shock. They both lived expecting the Lord to show up in some way every day, so when he showed up visibly on their doorstep, it was no surprise. “Hi Lord, have a seat. Would you like something to drink or maybe some fresh cookies?”
That’s what a Spirit-led response might have looked like.. Or it might have been a picture of you excitedly receiving a surprise visit from a good friend and warmly ushering them into your home, eager to hear what they had to say.
Have you ever considered how history would have been forever changed if Adam and Eve, when confronted by the deceiving serpent, would have simply said, “Wait. Let me check with my Heavenly Father about that?!” WE have that same choice when unpleasant situations surprise us.
Had I made that choice, I would have ushered in peace, joy, and assurance. But instead of choosing to be led by God’s Spirit, I let myself be led by how I felt. I was tired from the long day and worn down by the inability of multiple specialists to diagnose and treat my painful ailment. In the sudden change in plans, I chose to invite a frustrated response to the situation. I allowed irrational “logic” and feelings to jade my perception of the situation. I didn’t consider maybe THIS is the place God would answer my prayers. Instead, I allowed this frustration and sense of prideful, “I know what’s best” to rise up inside me. Oh, it wasn’t a knock down drag out drama. But in choosing to go my way I allowed an hour of peace escape my reality, until I opened my eyes to God’s perspective.
Don’t we often find that dilemma when life throws an unpleasant surprise party for us? There’s a simple (but not easy) process to help handle these. It takes repeated discipline to stop, pray and listen to God’s quiet voice, and respond quickly to his way. Part of that discipline is training ourselves to hear God’s voice in quiet times. Now, I’m not going to beat myself up over this situation and neither should you if you find yourself insisting on your way instead of God’s way. Instead, let’s repent and make a renewed commitment to stop, pray, listen, and respond. That’s a path to finding God’s best in any situation.
Be blessed! By the way… do you know someone who could use a little daily encouragement facing life’s battles? Click “forward” below and share the joy and hope Jesus offers for honest, victorious living!
