Do you remember what it felt like to be a child, anxiously awaiting the next new thing? Whether it was jumping in piles of colorful leaves, exploring a different playground or tasting an unfamiliar food, life was filled with adventure! Fast forward to adulthood when day-to-day life is more focused on advancement than adventure. Adventure becomes a pre-planned event rather than a lens of expectation to look through.
But what if we, as adults, carried the belief that there is always a holy surprise around the corner? What if we were in a constant state of expecting that God is going to do something good? Sure, it looks different than a pile of crunchy leaves or that playground with twists and turns of colorful tubes but the thought process is the same—there’s something good, something fun, something exciting coming. And we’re ready for it!
DRUMMING UP A HOLY SURPRISE
A few weeks ago, my husband and I went to a drum karaoke event put on by Derek’s drum teacher. It’s a fun concept: the drum students and others connected to anyone taking lessons can come to the event, pick a song and drum with it. I’d been to one of these before, which was held outdoors in a park. With the cooler weather, they moved it into the drum studio. Mind you, I’m a huge “environment” person; I like being in light and bright spaces. Contrast that with this dark, somewhat dingy back space with a makeshift coffee and refreshment stand, a pool table and random clutter sprinkled around the perimeter of the room. When we arrived, we snagged a spot on the couch in the back with a few friends we’d invited. Secretly, I hoped we could be in and out within a half hour.
The evening started and Derek got on the list toward the front end of the night. Our friend, who was also drumming, secured a spot about midway through. In my brain, I was already calculating approximately what time we could jet. I much preferred the coziness of home over the back space of the studio. Regardless, I was looking forward to hearing both Derek and our friend play, even though the songs chosen are rarely my jam.
Derek was second to drum and as those after him went, one by one, I was starting to get antsy. My mind was more focused on the future than the present. And come on, it was 7:30 p.m., which was pushing our dinner back. (I was hungry!) Finally, our friend got up to play. Little did we know he chose the song “House of the Lord” by Phil Wickham. And WHOA could our friend play! The entire atmosphere of the room shifted. I no longer saw the dark and dingy setting and rather, delighted in the lightness the worship song brought. What a holy surprise!
Do you see what happened? God delivered a holy surprise in an unexpected setting that not only lifted my Spirit and enlightened my heart, but gave others the opportunity to experience a true worship moment. Despite my mindset, God knew what that room needed. He didn’t need me to expect it to deliver. However, had I held a posture of awaiting something good, I would have had more fun in the process. And it reminded me, through the Lord’s gentle nudge, of how much my expectation affects my experience.
A LENS OF EXPECTATION
My challenge for you is to put on a lens of expectation. When you find yourself in less-than-ideal circumstances, expect holy surprises. When you feel your attitude going sour, expect holy surprises. When you find yourself living in the future instead of the present, expect holy surprises. Navigate each day with great expectation. Because it’s in the moments of expectation—that decision point between expecting something good or assuming the bad—that determines your experience.
And who knows, maybe you’ll find raking the leaves in great expectation this fall may turn an otherwise-mundane task into an autumn adventure!
