Surprises, storms, and character of God
I feel like there are those of us that like surprises ( I like me a good surprise but I am terrible at keeping surprises) and those that do not.
I think I like to live life looking for the unexpected. But it does bring such comfort to me that even in the unexpected detours, surprises, and even sometimes having to backtrack, God is never surprised. God never changes. His character is the same. I can trust that character ALL the time.
I went for a run yesterday. Yall, exercising does seem to get me into trouble. I have all kinds of adventures whenever I try to be healthy and run.
And please know, for full honest disclosure, I use the word run loosely. Like a slow jog really. Or a horse trotting with a slight leg injury… that’s what you can picture.
Back to yesterday.
I decided to go for a run. There was not a CLOUD in the sky. Beautiful so sunny day that you sweat just getting out of the car. But I was in. I had my new running shoes laced and ready and I was off.
I ran all the way from one side of the greenway in our town to the other. When I got to the other end, I stopped for a bathroom break and ran again, ready to get back to the other side.
I was red faced, sweaty and worn out… about halfway back to my car, when I was at the midway I can push through point, I realized I had dropped or left my keys somewhere about two miles back.
I so did not want to backtrack. I was a little frustrated and throwing a pity party in my heart.
This was my face when I realized the keys were no longer in my hand.
I turned around and went back to find my keys. They were hanging in the bathroom.
Right when I got to the bathroom, the cloudless sky turned ominously dark in a second. A crazy thunderstorm came up so quickly with side pouring rain, hail and the kind of cloud to ground lightning that makes your hair stand on end.
But because of the key debacle, I was there, right under shelter when the storm came.
The storm still came, and I had to wait it out, but I had a place to rest in protection from the storm.
Without my “annoying detour” I would have been stuck on the trail without any shelter from the storm.
Sometimes our lives take surprise detours. Sometimes we have to seemingly backtrack. Sometimes it’s frustrating and we just want to get to a destination.
But I love that nothing surprises God. That He is the same. And that He is always a shelter in the storm.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty, I will say to the Lord , ” My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” Psalms 91
Maybe you are in a storm right now. Or a detour. Or a backtrack.
Just wanted to pop by and offer you that reminder. That God is the shelter for your storm.
He is working in your story.
And NOTHING surprises Him.
Also I have to close with a shout out to my momma who texted me during my predicament and came to rescue me 🙂
Ps: a few little announcements. Wednesday, August 31st is the last day to sign up for the Coming Alive Coffeeshop Facebook group. What is that you might wonder? It’s a private Facebook group that will go from September 1st-end of November. As a member you will have access to private Facebook live devotionals once a week (recorded by me), a personalized day retreat experience guide written just for you to help you take a day retreat away with the Lord wherever and whenever works best for YOU, a weekly conference call (recorded if you cannot make it live), and daily group interaction building community with those in the group. It’s like having a great heart to heart conversation over coffee plus a time of worship all put together. It’s only 10.00 a month to join 🙂 Just e-mail me at [email protected] if you would like to join us.
Also: We have our third annual Coming Alive 5K coming up. All proceeds benefit Coming Alive Ministries. We would be so honored to have you join. Click here for more information.