I had the blessing of attending a retreat recently, and one of the exercises we did was to break into small groups. We had three questions to reflect on and share, if desired, in our group and then with the whole group.
The first question was, “What has surprised you so far?” It was interesting to hear the variety of answers, since, as we know, God made each of us a little different and unique in our own way. We all have different perspectives, usually based on the experiences we’ve had. I like to hear people’s thoughts, which often reveal more of their stories.
The question echoed in my mind for a while, which made me think about how we never know what God will orchestrate in our lives. As I am more of an introvert, I was proud that I did speak up in our small group and share what surprised me. I shared how God surprised me with the relationships that I formed in less than twenty-four hours. I didn’t go into detail in my group, but it started with sharing a book with a presenter the first night before I even heard him speak. It was that little inkling I had to share a book then instead of waiting until the next day.
Much to my surprise the next day, I noticed he had the book with him as we went into the chapel before heading to breakfast. He told me he had already read two reflections. It was a lovely surprise that he sat at my table for breakfast. Towards the end, we were the two remaining people at the table and had a blessed encounter, sharing similar stories as tears filled my eyes listening to him. As we walked to the next event, he shared how perfect God’s orchestration was for this moment in time. We had a few more sacred encounters throughout the day that were God’s gifts—His surprises in our lives.
The final encounter was the next morning, when I was leaving early. I woke up early and couldn’t fall back asleep. I heard the birds singing at 6 a.m. and hopped out of bed, thinking I should go see the sunrise that I knew was about 6:30 a.m. I had a wonderful time walking with the view of the lake and horizon before getting a few pictures of the beautiful sunrise. I spent a few minutes in the chapel before heading to the kitchen to eat a little breakfast before I left. God’s surprise was for the presenter to come into the dining area as I was finishing my food. He sent me off with a powerful blessing and prayer, which was the perfect ending to the weekend.
A beautiful sunrise surprise at the retreat.
Another surprise from God was discovering the lady in the room next to me, whom I had met at this place back in 2021. As we started talking more, we remembered sharing some of our stories and realized we had met. What a blessed surprise to reconnect and catch up!
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” –Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT)
I believe this verse supports the idea that God is a God of surprises. We tend to think in more human ways that we have control over so much, but I believe that God is the true orchestrator. God is omniscient and is the Creator of the heavens and earth and everything that is in them. His mind is way above ours, and He knows how everything fits together. What a beautiful verse of encouragement to help us put our faith and trust in our Mighty God!
Photo courtesy of BK under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Does it surprise you that…
…God chose Moses, a stutterer, to speak to the Israelites?
…Abraham and Sarah conceived a child in their old age, John the Baptist, who would baptize Jesus?
…Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin?
…Jesus ate with sinners and prostitutes?
…Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, yet he was the rock upon which Jesus started the church?
…God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die and rise from the dead to save us from our sins?
Be encouraged this week to…
…see what surprises God sends your way.
…be in awe and wonder at God’s orchestrations.
…be filled with joy knowing God works in and through ordinary men and women.
A heart surprise after seeing the sunrise.
REFLECTION:
What surprise has God provided in your life recently?
Have you seen how God has worked through ordinary you?
He chose the lowly, the laughable in the world’s eyes—nobodies—so that he would shame the somebodies. For he chose what is regarded as insignificant in order to supersede what is regarded as prominent, so that there would be no place for prideful boasting in God’s presence. –1 Corinthians 1:28-29 (TPT)
Note: I will not post a reflection next week. Feel free to stop by and check out any reflections! God bless~