Surprises Take Planning.

“Surprise!”  We all shouted on cue as the lights came on. 

The 13-year-old birthday girl looked somewhat startled for a split second and then calmly crossed the room to greet her friends as if nothing had happened.  She was officially a teen—too cool for emotional reactions.

I was relieved that the surprise had been a success.  Surprise parties require quite a bit of planning to pull off--food, paper goods, balloons, invitations, cake, candles etc. etc.

Later, she claimed that she had suspected something was up.  Maybe she had a little inkling…maybe she was hopeful that something was coming.  In the week leading up to the surprise, I had taken away her phone—partially as a consequence for bad behavior and partially because I didn’t want any of her friends texting her to reveal (even accidentally) the surprise. 

Also, she had asked if we could all go to the movies as a family.  I had to tell her no and she was bitterly disappointed.  What are we going to do all night—just sit around at home? She complained.  She was pretty ugly to me in those days leading up to her party because her birthday was over and it seemed like nothing fun would ever happen again.

During one moment of rudeness, I was almost gleeful—not that she was upset, (that made me sad), but because the fact that I knew something fun was actually on the horizon was sweet. 

I wonder if God ever feels that way. 

I wonder if there are days when we feel disappointed and disillusioned and downright angry at the way things are working out.  I wonder if God’s ever removed things from our life—partially as a consequence of sin and partially to protect us from some future happening or because it's all part of the plan. 

I wonder if there are times when we ask God for something and are completely confused that we wouldn’t get the desired answer.  I wonder if we ever feel like blessings will never come our way again. 

And finally, I wonder if God smiles warmly as we throw our fit of rage or melt into tears or simply pout and turn our back.  I wonder if He longs to stroke our head and whisper “Never fear, I have something wonderful on the horizon planned just for you.  I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but it’s going to be better than you think.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

No eye has seen, no ear has heard,

    and no mind has imagined

what God has prepared

    for those who love him.