unexpected

Friday, December 18, 2009 (5:03 a.m.)

Awesome, Amazing, Wonderful God,

Thank You! How pleasant, exciting and unexpected is this? Everywhere I turn this morning Lord there’s another surprise.

(6:59 a.m.)

First of all, I stayed up after getting out of bed to take care of ‘just this one thing’. Your call for me to start singing ♫Come Lord Jesus Come♫ took me to the webpage of its singer/songwriter Brenton Brown. Lord, how well I remember the unexpected surprise of hearing him at church one Sunday morning.

While reading Your promise of life giving waters to all who are thirsty (Revelation 21:6 and Isaiah 55:1) I was unexpectedly no longer alone in my time with You. Other household members awakened earlier than I had anticipated.

And speaking of unexpected Lord, how incredible was that absolutely surprise late evening visit from a very dear long time friend of my youth. Literal hours were spent catching up while sharing details and beverage in honor of her mum. Lovely Lord. You are lovely in Your unexpected gifts to us.

Thank You Lord. Thank You that even in this often interrupted time together with You so far this morning, I am coming to closer to actually feeling a bit disoriented. Mm. Right in the midst of thinking I will just push those feelings to the side, ignore them, push through, hope they go away. Rather unexpectedly I change my mind. Right here. Right now. Lord I am confessing to You that all is not as I would have it.

There were harsh tones that were left unresolved last night. There is a renewed concern I have for a very dear loved one. I don’t have the desire to busy myself with holiday preparations without first bringing these issues before You.

Wow Lord. This is kind of new (unexpected) territory for me. My usual mode would have been to just muscle on through the negativity. Not this time Lord. Thank You.

Before leaving this time here with You to prepare our house for Your Nativity, let me ♫come Lord Jesus come♫ before You saying that I am feeling fearful. There’s too much to do. All is not calm, nor bright.

Oh But Lord. You are so good. You don’t just leave me alone in my despair. Just as I was preparing to tap the words, asking You to take my broken dreams and make them whole again. Another unexpected thing happened. It turns out the word in the song is wings, not dreams. And I was just singing it to You the other day.

The words remind me that I’ve ♫got to learn to fly, learn to live and love so free And when we hear the voices sing The Book of Love will open up and let us in…♫ And I remember reading of forgiveness in Your Book of Love.

And just now, as I turn to read more about Your love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, the tears forming in my eyes are completely unexpected. Lord, The Bible Handbook says of this section, “Spiritual maturity is revealed in love and maturity comes through loving.” More than anything right now dear Lord, I ask You to give to me spiritual maturity.

Yes Lord, absolutely unexpected! Just for today. Spiritual maturity. Enough “to gauge and to grow in true spirituality.” That is my plea for this season. This season that is here to represent You and all You came to earth to do. John 3:17, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

So, giant great big mess around here and all. Lord, not quite as unexpected as I would have once imagined. Here I am again, coming full circle as all my heart, my soul, my mind and my strength (Mark 12:30) sing out to You again ♫Come Lord Jesus Come♫

Oh, Your most dear and sweet goodness Lord. How I love You and thank You and truly invite You in to ALL of what we are doing today. I love You. Amen.

(680 words ~ 8:01 a.m.)