Blessings in the Unexpected (8/26/2023)

Yesterday around 1 p.m. my husband asked me if the boiled eggs in the frig were bad. I told him “no” but asked why he asked. He told me he’d had one for breakfast, and it didn’t seem right. Concerned, I peeled the six eggs which were fine, and decided to make tuna salad from them. Then around 5, I told my husband we had tuna salad for supper, but I unfortunately had no bread. So, off he went for a loaf of bread. Thirty minutes later, he came home with a hot pizza. It was delicious. I’m glad he brought it. Lunch tomorrow is already ready; we’ll be having tuna salad. But as I got ready for bed last evening, I thought about my day in the kitchen. None of it was planned; all of it turned out well. My life seems to go like that a lot.

Take for example my errand earlier in the day. I was to meet up with a friend to discuss a couple of faith related activities we work on together. When we walked into the coffee shop, two other friends were there, and we had a chance to chat. It was a blessing to see them. It was also a gift because from our visit, we learned one of our friends is dealing with some issue for which we promised prayers and support. Then while I was there, I also had a chat with a third friend whose daughter is going through some rough times. I took out my pocket cross and shared it with her. She will give it to her daughter. Visiting with these other women were not on my list, but unexpected as they were, they were blessings.

If you’ve read my blog for a while, you know I am a list maker. I won’t say surprises give me a tic, but I will admit that I can at times be resistant to them. The older I get, the more lists I make and the more blessed surprises I receive. Maybe it’s not that I am receiving more; maybe it is that I’ve learned to see them as blessings rather than irritating deviations in my plans for the day.

Age and insight from the Spirit have taught me that what I wanted wasn’t always what I needed and that sometimes what comes is better than what I had hoped. Age and insight from the Spirit have also taught me that one of the greatest gifts I’ve received from the LORD is openness to the LORD’s presence in the moment and in others. Yesterday is a perfect example.

Our journey will have surprises. Not all of them will be good, I admit. However, we risk not seeing the good that is there is we are too insistent upon having it our way. As we journey through life making our way home, let us remain open to the gifts of the LORD’s presence often in the most surprising of ways.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.