The unexpected…. it is just that; not expected, or considered, or thought of. The unexpected just suddenly shows up when you are going about your daily business. It happened to me a lot this week. So much that I started to worry it wouldn’t stop, that something really bad might happen. Anticipating the proverbial “other shoe” and completely expecting it to drop.
During my “terrible, no good, very bad week” it seemed like a lot. In the first few hours under the dark cloud, I opened a large heavy door on my foot at a commercial building (yeow!), twisted my ankle at a school field, tore one of my favorite shirts on a bolt sticking out of a pole in my work parking lot and then had an issue with the security alarm. The next day I flooded my garage via my front load washer at 10:30pm at night (don’t ask), which was followed by the discovery of fleas on my pristine little dog the next morning. And the last issue just about threw this semi-ocd woman over. the. edge. Do you feel my pain?
The week continued to barrel on with one person crashing another persons car which is so complicated all names have been removed to protect the innocent. It was not one of our family of drivers or vehicles so, phew, thank you Jesus for small miracles. The week came to a close with a stack of work both at home and office that would make even the most can-do person drop to their knees.
Embrace it? Are you kidding? Nope, I’m not. When we learn to embrace every part we acknowledge that His ways our higher than ours. We acknowledge that there may be the beautiful, the difficult, the uncomfortable, the utterly ridiculous, but also the opportunity for growth and grace. The opportunity and gift that comes from getting to the end of ourselves so we can rely completely and solely on the the Lord and his mercy.
I know what I have shared here is nothing compared to the suffering some are enduring right now. There are many who are in financial ruin, have family members struggling with serious illness, and relationships that are crumbling. No one is immune from the harsh realities of life on this earth that is not our home.
One thing I notice, one thing I see, is that life goes on, time does not stop. In the morning, the birds are still singing. The sun still rises and the day progresses. It may just be that the next unexpected thing you embrace may be a wonderful surprise. For me, the week ended with a few unexpected moments with a cherished friend that lifted my spirits just by the handful of minutes I was able to spend with her. You see, it was unexpected. And I completely embraced it.
Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ~Lamentations 3:22-23
Simply: Life and Love 