A Fun Surprise

"You speak of having plans"

2 Kings 18:20

I got a big surprise the other day.  My sister, brother-in-law, and nephew are in town for the week, for a visit.

But that's not the surprise.  We've been looking forward to their visit for a few weeks now.

So they came to my Amazing Boy's baseball game, which was especially fun.  My boy's team did great, and he had his best game this season.  My nephew enjoyed watching his cousin play, and we all enjoyed hanging out together, watching and chatting.

My folks were a little late getting to the game, though.  They had an errand to run, and then they picked up dinner for everyone.

In-n-Out burgers.  Yum.

But that wasn't the surprise.  They took our order, so everyone knew that was coming.

No, the surprise was that they picked up something else while they were out ~ my other sister, and her husband. 

Only Mom and Dad knew they were coming to visit for a couple of days.  They had timed their visit deliberately, to take advantage of my other sister's visit, so that we could all be together.   They just showed up at the baseball game with our In-n-Out.  

Surprise! 

It was so much fun to see them, but also kinda fun to be surprised, and I thought about how much fun surprises can be.  

Now, there are a lot of things that happen in my life that I'm not expecting, but I'm not necessarily pleased by all of them.  Maybe it would be different if I try to think of them as surprises.  Unexpected events that God has planned or allowed in my life, for growth, or knowledge, even if not necessarily for "fun".  

I'm often not as "in control" of things in my life as I'd like to be.  But it should be enough for me to know that He's in control! 

~ "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,

says the Lord,

thoughts of peace and not of evil,

to give you a future and a hope."

Jeremiah 29:11

~