When we take time to seek God in simple things, we find Him, and hope permeates our lives.
My wife, Candace, and I spent a few days at the coast. Every evening we made sure to watch the sunset. Just before the drive home, we spent an hour on a bench looking out to sea.
I watched the Shearwaters (specifically, the Sooty Shearwater, Ardenna grisea) glide just above the surface of the water, and eventually dive beneath, presumably to snag a tasty fish. The Sooty Shearwater migrates thirty-five thousand miles each year, in a kind of figure-eight pattern over the Pacific. They can dive up to fifty feet for food. I’ll bet some of the fish swimming below felt surprised when Sooty snagged them for lunch!
As we watched the ocean, an ambulance sped past, its lights and siren alerting traffic. Someone’s day had taken an unexpected turn, like the fish in Sooty’s beak.
The evening we arrived home, I saw on the news a head-on collision occurred just an hour after we drove through the same road–another unexpected turn in someone’s life.
Some unexpected occurrences result in good things. I’ve harbored a fanciful dream for years about the ideal cottage on the coast. Even my novel project contains a similar cottage. Via an online search, I found “A Victorian Light Keepers Cottage” available for rent in Cambria, just down the street from our hotel!
Cottage ownership remains a dream, but I never expected to find my dream cottage actually exists.
Back to Sooty.
As I watched the shearwaters dive for fish, it reminded me that my life has taken a few unexpected turns. God is sovereign, but He is also our God Who delights in surprises. He shows up in unexpected places, and acts in my life in ways I never could predict, even during the worst times.
In A Grief Observed, C.S. Lewis said, “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.”
I understand. Once, someone I loved and trusted betrayed me. I felt devastated. Friends huddled around to help, and invited me to the local watering holes. They meant well, but this did nothing to improve how I felt about my life.
Some Christian friends invited me to their Bible group on Sunday mornings. After the first meeting, I felt like I’d taken a breath of fresh air. In time, I could see myself growing more sensitive, aware, and forgiving, and God led me to a loving, Christian wife.
John Piper said, “In all the setbacks of your life as a believer, God is plotting for your joy.”
I want more in my relationship with Christ than to simply lean into the headwinds of life, believing God will sustain me. By the way, I do believe He will sustain me.
In his letter to the church in Rome (12:1), Paul says, “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.”
Is my life a living sacrifice? An altar is a place where a person makes a sacrifice to consecrate himself to God. Many churches have altars for prayer, communion, weddings, and other sacred purposes. The human heart holds an altar, a place to surrender to the Holy Spirit. If I’m honest, it’s hard to do, and sometimes I take things back. When one builds an altar, you must first carry the stones, but God offers so much more.
There’s a key to a more intimate relationship with Christ, found in the four words, “In everything, give thanks.” It’s easier to do when He provides for our needs like food, shelter, clothing, and daily needs. What about the hard stuff? Should we thank Him for divorce, cancer, or financial loss? Yes! It is God’s will for me as a believer.
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)
I’ve set upon an effort to see where this “everything” business takes me. When the hard times come, and I don’t feel thankful, I want to thank Him on faith alone, because this is His will. He may choose to surprise me, not just in the bad times, but any hour of any day. I want to practice this expectation, trusting in my heart that God rules over every detail of my life.
“Look at the nations and watch, and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5 (NASB)
Sure sounds like He takes great joy in surprising us!
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 (NIV)
Thank you, Father. I can’t wait for your next surprise.
Selah.