God is Always Full of Surprises.

 I was working on dinner yesterday when a big bird flying across the backyard caught my eye. Quite certain it was a hawk, I ran and got my camera and eased outside. While hawks are fairly common in my area, they are rather tricky to capture in pictures. They don’t stay in one place for very long and they don’t allow you to get very close. There was a time when I would have just kept on cooking, believing dinner had to be on the table at 6:00 no matter what. But, lately I have tried diligently to “watch for God” in all my surroundings and I thought just maybe I could get a glimpse of this majestic bird and possibly some photos. Imagine my surprise as I zoomed in and started clicking.

It wasn’t a hawk. It was an owl! This really was a special treat. Owls like hawks are very common in our area. We often hear them, but since they are nocturnal, we never get to see them; yet there he was in broad daylight. I would snap pictures and edge a little closer and snap some more and edge a little closer. He didn’t seem the least bit nervous about my presence and I got some great shots.

I was struck by the wonder and surprise that always come with following God when we trust and obey him. Think of the surprise the Israelites must have had when the Red Sea miraculously parted. Think of the wonder Joshua and company must have had when they followed God’s directions, marched around the city and simply blew their horns and shouted and the walls of a mighty city crumbled. What about the surprise Jairus must have experienced when Jesus touched his daughter and resurrected her from the dead? Think about the wonder and joy that Mary Magdalene and friends must have felt that first Easter morning when a risen Jesus stood before them.

The Bible is full of these stories; stories of wonders, surprises and miracles that come from following God as closely as possible. How do we do that? I think we can sum it up in three easy steps: read, pray, obey. Read the Bible to figure out where we came from and where we are supposed to go. It’s like a road map of sorts. Pray about God’s will for our lives. The more we read, the more we want to pray and the louder his voice becomes telling us which way to go. It’s like a spiritual GPS. Then we obey and hold on tight and wait expectantly for the surprises. Because life with God is never boring. Just ask the wise old owl!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂