Surprise!

“Soccer is the best sport,” I said, and my friend replied, “Judy, you are so predictable!”

 

Oh no!  Distressing!  I don’t want to be predictable.   I want to be surprising!

 

Yes, I am predictable about some things:

 

Sports:  I follow the Longhorns, Cowboys, Magic faithfully.  But I like soccer best (I actually coached my daughters) and love to follow the US Women’s Team.

 

Texas:  I know more wonderful facts about Texas than most people, and I am glad to share them with anyone who will listen.

 

My mission:  to encourage God’s children to be and do all God has for them—to never settle for less than God’s best! And especially I am a champion for God’s daughters, his ezers.

 

My family:  I pray for, love on, spend time with, listen to, encourage, give gifts to, babysit for, shop for–my husband, my kids and their kids.

 

My Jesus:  I love Him, trust Him, depend on Him, serve Him, talk to and about Him.  He is my life—and I wish I did all of these things more consistently.

 

But after these predictabilities, I am a fan of the unpredictable.  I love surprises—especially nice ones.  I don’t want do the above in the same old way.  New ideas, new visions, new approaches.

 

Predictable is boring, and I consider boring a 4-letter word.  If I look for the open door, the opportunity, the surprise twist, the daunting challenge, there is no time or place to be bored.

 

I want to make lots of room for shock and awe– especially with God.

 

He is the ultimate in unpredictability.   He is master of the unexpected—sometimes I love His surprises, other times I don’t.   Sometimes He takes my breath away; other times He wraps me in comfort and peace.

 

But always, He has that surprise twist:  He stuns me as He achieves His perfect good through even the most difficult situations. (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28).

 

He tells me to anticipate His surprises:    “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”  I have no idea what He might do!

 

May I always be filled with wonder at the ways of God!

 

How has God surprised you recently?

 

c2011 Judy Douglass

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Displaying the Splendor

I am a Texan through and through.  It has for years been my dream to move back to Texas, but I’m pretty sure that will never happen.

 
So I decided to bring Texas to Florida—to my family room.  I have acquired several genuine Texas items, including a saddle, an old tin Texas flag, bluebonnet coasters, a wild horse sculpture, a lone star paperweight  and many others.

 
But I needed a just-right piece to go above our fireplace.  I found it when I was in Galveston with my mother and sisters.  On the wall of a fabulous art gallery was an awesome G. Harvey painting called “Turning the Lead.”   It portrays a dark and stormy night; the moon is breaking through the clouds, reflecting in the puddles on the red dirt. Two weathered cowboys are attempting to turn the lead steer and thus stop the stampeding herd of longhorns.

 
I ordered a print, and when it came, I spent hours picking out just the right frame and matting for the picture and for our home. The mottled rust colored frame picked up the red dirt. The beige, suede matting provided lightness and texture. Both were perfect for displaying the beauty of the painting.

Turning the Lead by G Harvey

 
When I brought the framed picture home—and my sweet husband painstakingly hung it—I was awestruck. I turned off all the lights but the one highlighting the art. Yes, the frame was just right. And the suede matting was unique. But I didn’t focus on them. They did their job of framing the beauty of the painting—of displaying its splendor. And that is what I looked at, enjoyed, appreciated.

 
That’s how it is with God.  He says to each of us, “You are my servant, in whom I will display my splendor.” (Isaiah 49:3) We are designed to reflect Him and His glory. So He carefully crafts us—through creation, giftedness, circumstances—to make us the perfect frame and matting to beautifully display His splendor.

 
What a great privilege and high calling to display the splendor of God!

 

c2011 Judy Douglass

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