How willing are you to be surprised?
Me, not so much. Ask my husband how much I liked it when he surprised me with a promise ring in front of his family at our first Christmas together.
But my resistance to surprises doesn’t just rob me of enjoying fun things (like presents) when they’re good, but it denies me access to God’s great peace when they’re not so good.
Unwillingness to be surprised means I’m rigid and easily broken, refusing to be equipped to ride the waves.
Not cool.
What if I opened my eyes each morning and said “yes” to whatever surprises God has in store?
What if I stopped trying to control everything and simply took responsibility for how I react?
What if instead of fearing surprise, I embraced it and allowed God to expand and build me up until every surprise was welcome?
“Each day holds a surprise. But only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us. Let’s not be afraid to receive each day’s surprise, whether it comes to us as sorrow or as joy. It will open a new place in our hearts, a place where we can welcome new friends and celebrate more fully our shared humanity.” ― Henri Nouwen