"Unexpected"

Sometimes it is the weather,

Which we cannot predict,

No matter all our science,

The weather man can’t pick,

All that’s going to happen,

And when it’s going to blow,

Or no precipitation,

Rain or sleet or snow.

And just like that old weather,

So can people be,

If you think they’re predictable,

Think again, you see.

Often they’ll surprise you,

What they do and what they say,

Sometimes you can’t even tell,

If they’ll leave or stay.

It’s not always negative,

Sometimes surprise is good,

They bless you unexpected,

When you never thought they would.

But sometimes sudden heartbreak,

And tears and lots of loss,

Chalk it up to bad surprise,

But don’t let it be boss.

Because the Bible tells us,

To give thanks come what may,

Learn to get the peace of Christ,

Receive it when you pray.

And don’t try to control it,

But learn to walk by faith,

Let go all the worry,

And live for Jesus’ sake.

And when the journey’s ended,

Life’s fever done and gone,

When all that we have done and said,

The right, and yes, the wrong.

We will trust the Savior,

Based upon His grace,

To finally receive us,

At the end of this life’s race.

People, like the weather,

Will change and cause surprise,

But nothing here can stop us,

From winning heaven’s prize.

All else may change around us,

But Jesus stays the same,

He was, and is, and is to come,

And we will praise His name.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever…” (Hebrews 13:8, NIV)

Has life surprised you? Yes, if you have lived for very long. My good friend, Dr. Millard Box, who went home to be with the Lord at the age of 102 years old, was a profound example of someone who was undeterred in his focus on Jesus. He simply would not allow life’s surprises get him down. It was an honor to know him and be led by his example. We’ve all had our share of people and circumstances that did not turn out the way we thought. It can be extremely depressing, and cause us to live in perpetual worry about the next disappointment. But this is not what God intends for us. He uses everything that happens, and over and over again reminds us that He is unchanging and dependable. When you know that, and stay focused on that, and then learn it again in deeper ways, life become a celebration of His presence. That’s what Dr. Box had, and that’s what we all need.

Lord, teach us to focus on Jesus who never changes, and not on everything else that does. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Art by Tim Cox, timcox.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Tim, and God bless you.