SURPRISE! This week my Mama is guest blogging! I am so excited for her to share and you can check out my guest post on HER blog this coming Monday at https://legaciesletloose.com/
Now, enjoy the creative writing styles of the one and only Cathy Mayfield!!
I CHOOSE ... SURPRISE!
I delight in planning surprises for people. Anything from birthday parties to wedding and baby showers, from unexpected gifts to holiday events.
When our daughters had birthdays, I planned themed parties, often surprising them with the theme on the day of the party. As they got older, it got a bit tougher. I remember a sixteenth birthday party we planned to coincide with the cast party for one of our drama troupe productions.
On the day of the party, I picked up the cake which had a photo from the show with our daughter and another cast member screen-printed on it. When she came in the door, everyone yelled surprise and started singing “Happy Birthday.” Well, the surprise was on us—she started singing along, thinking we were surprising one of the tech guys.
Yes, I love surprising people. However, I’m not so easy to surprise. When it came to birthdays or other events, somehow, I usually had an inkling beforehand, but I tried to act surprised anyway. This didn’t stop our children from trying to surprise me, though. And some of the times have been doozies! I think age has dulled my fore-senses and made me more vulnerable to their attacks.
All three forthcoming baby announcements jolted me and left me speechless. One daughter used a Father’s Day gift to her dad, a T-shirt with the words “The GRANDFATHER” on it. It took me a minute to catch on, but after waiting many years to become a grandmother, I get a little credit for a momentary lapse in sanity. This same daughter’s second baby announcement came as a surprise because it came a short time after our grandson’s first birthday. She’d have two children in just over two years.
And the last one, I can’t be thought daft because our son-in-love used a pretended need of help with his writing to play their trick on me. I was caught up in the storyline and the characters, but surprise me he did with the “character-to-come”!
Not all surprises are birthdays and babies. Some of my favorites are the ones God throws at me when I least expect it. Surprise visits and phone calls, surprise cards in the mail.
Often, His surprises come in times of prayer. He may use a Scripture I’ve read hundreds of times to speak to my heart. A line from a hymn or worship song may bring clarity to an issue. The surprise happens because I wasn’t seeking it.
And sometimes, His surprises practically shout from the rooftops, like a recent email asking me to submit ten devotions to Guideposts’ All God’s Creatures devotional book. I could use more of those.
When it comes to bringing these kinds of delight, I CHOOSE ... SURPRISE! And when the surprise is for someone I love, it’s even better. For example, finding out our 24-year-old daughter received a book contract for a young adult novel.
With surprises like that, keep them coming!