The Surprise

What makes a surprise special? For me a real surprise is something that you couldn't even begin to guess-nowhere on your radar and nowhere in your day-to-day thoughts.

Why were Christmases when we were young so special? Many would say Santa. I say it was the surprise. Santa wouldn't be glorified in our society's mind unless he brought a surprise! He brings the gift that is unexpected-wrapped in a way that alludes to the gift, but does not completely make it obvious in the child's mind.

Now, what makes Christianity, special?  To answer this, we must look at Jesus. Jesus was special because He was a surprise. He was and is a fulfillment of prophecy, but the manner by which He came to us and for us was a surprise. He was not a surprise gift, but the way in which He was presented was.

Now let us step back and look at this from the "surpriser's" point of view. You plan a surprise party for your friend, and you are so excited. In fact, you maintain more excitement than the one that ends up being surprised. Why? You see the whole picture. You know the work you put in to its organization and orchestration. You know the special gift you purchased for the individual's birthday. You cannot wait to celebrate with them as this is a new turning point in their life.

Imagine our Heavenly Father planning a surprise party for us. He has prepared the perfect gift-His perfect son. He has invited the perfect people-His creation. He understands that not everyone will accept the surprise- yet proceeds with the planning.

Our God understood that the perfect gift would be a surprise to His creation. But once we understand the gift, it all makes sense. It all becomes clear. It all fits together. And, we are filled with joy. We are filled with the joy we experienced when we were six years of age unwrapping a gift we may not have ever anticipated receiving. Yet once it is opened- it all makes sense, and you are so grateful.

Let us return to Christmas morning excitement when we open our bibles and open our hearts. He was a surprise for a reason- for that moment when we GET IT.   When we get it, we repent. When we get it, we look to Him more. When we get it, we are awe-struck. Surprises are more exciting than the expected.

Surprises are not happen-stance or random. Let us remember that tedious planning goes into a surprise, and to not take His surprise for granted. In addition, let us remember that surprises are intentionally crafted for a specific reaction from the surprised. 

Let us return to the humility and joy of a young child on Christmas morning. Let us regain the reverence and the awe when we look at Him.  


John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth
John 1:15-17 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

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Time is a crazy thing. The concept of "time" has often been the source of much of my anxiety and grief. "Will I ever get such and such done?"  "Will I ever find a husband?" "Will I tell everyone I meet about Jesus before I die?"


It is important to remember that with the Lord, He owns time. He created time. He monitors time. He is the keeper of time. We do not have any ability to adjust or control time. He does. And, He does not function under any human concept of time, dates, schedules, or agendas.


"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." 
Ecclesiastes 3:1. 


There is a reason this verse states, "under heaven".  There is an order in Heaven. It is not the Earthly form of order though. All things have their place, and all things have order once ordained by our Father. 


Take Heart! You were not formed by accident, and your timing on this earth is not happenstance. All things ordained by our God have a time, a place, and God has a plan. 


On the recent mission to Cambodia, I began conversing with a 23 year old girl, with the greatest heart. She worked at the church, aiding with cleaning of the linens, and sweeping the grounds. In her "time off" she found herself at college, studying English and Tourism Management.  


After revealing her riveting testimony, my grandma immediately gave her a silver bracelet. My grandma wanted the beautiful woman to remember that we would always be praying for her. I needed to give her something. What is something that I would remember if I gave to her?  What is something that would change my day to day events enough to remember to lift Her up in prayer? 


I often struggle with time. Yes, I struggle with the concept of time. Thinking you will "run out" of time is disabling. It impairs your ability to spread the gospel, as we take on time as our responsibility, and do not give it up to Him. It is all in His time anyway, right? 


I immediately knew what to give to her. My watch. The greatest stumbling block in my life would bless her in insurmountable ways. She would be able to schedule out her day, to accomplish so much. She would know when to go to attend church, when to work, and how to organize her schedule so that she can thrive in a structured environment. She would be able to use earthly time as a tool, to accomplish much for the kingdom. 


Amazingly though, I was freed. I was freed from the shackles of time for the remainder of the week in Cambodia. Time keeps us trapt in fear or anxiety until we release our schedules to our Father. The one that created the concept of time would certainly know how to bless us through it. And, if we believe that God creates us for HIs glory, by releasing our distracting agendas to God, we can fill in the appointment time schedules with praise, prayer and worship. I thought I owned the time I was given. Now, I had to release it to the Creator.   


There is a great difference between the "prideful faith" I had, and the childlike faith of this Cambodian woman. I thought I could control time to please God and fulfill my desires on Earth. She understood that by releasing precious moments to God, you allow Him to work in ways that a simple human cannot. And, it allows us as individuals to grow in faith as we realize that we can never accomplish the vast glory of the Kingdom of God in a short 80-or-so years. 


Let us remember that all events are appointed and directed by God. This does not support apathy. We must stay awake and alert for the callings of the Lord. But, time must be used as a tool, and not a possession. Time is given to BY God FOR His glory. Our human responses to "timing" will not change anything, or cause God's will to change. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and not dependent on a human concept of time. 


Under Heaven, all has order and all has direction. Let us fall on our knees under heaven. The Originator of time must be our authority. 

"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 

He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 

Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' 

And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' 

He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 

(Matthew 25:14-30)