The Privileged Life: Unexpected Finds
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7
When was the last time you were pleasantly surprised by an unexpected find?
I’m not talking about seeing a mouse in your pantry, discovering you picked up the wrong suitcase at the airport luggage rack (that happened to us on our honeymoon), or chewing on an apple and finding half a worm.
This is about those moments when God puts little presents in your path that you weren’t anticipating.
A dollar in the pocket of a jacket you haven’t worn since last fall. A nest of wild turkey eggs, just off the trail. A handwritten note of encouragement in your mailbox. A friend who drops by with cookies, just thinking of you. A gravy smudge that looks like Mickey Mouse. (See the photo below from my stovetop. No, I didn’t create a shrine for it…I wiped it off.)
While tragedies often attack without warning, broadsiding us and sending us reeling in shock, we also receive unnoticed gifts of sweetness that fall from heaven, from the Father of Lights. When we don’t pay attention, we miss these tiny blessings.
One of my friends texted me yesterday with an urgent prayer request…it was an honor to be asked and a privilege to lift her up before the Lord. I recently wrote an article for one of our local newspapers…a reader, someone I’ve never met, sent a complimentary email about it to the editor, who forwarded it to me. What a joy!
On mission trips, our team leaders have encouraged us to watch for “God moments,” those times when God shows up in miraculous ways. My husband and I have witnessed this in both small and spectacular events. On our way to Ecuador, we were tasked with lugging a large wheelchair through the airports (it’s not easy to get one through a scanner!) and wondered at the bother of bringing such a cumbersome item along with the medicine supplies. Our doubts disappeared when we saw the face of a man who had been carrying his crippled wife around their village…his tears of joy dissolved all of our petty thoughts. It was an amazing, unexpected, giant gift for him.
What if you started looking for God’s surprises? And turned them into blessings for others?
Suppose you get a small refund check this week in the mail—use it to buy flowers for someone who is feeling low, or send it to your favorite charity. Maybe you’ll pull into a fast-food lane and notice that the car behind you has a harried mom with little kids or has a driver who looks sorrowful—brighten their day by paying for their meal ticket.
You could simply be walking through a city park and hear the laughter of children—let it lift your heart into a smile you share with other walkers along the way.
Whatever you find today, even if you’re not looking for anything special, pause to consider if God is whispering to you in His still, small voice. Pray for “divine appointments,” to share His love and good news.
Receive your small blessings as gifts from Him…give thanks to Him for His everyday privileges…and bless others as He gives you opportunity. When you do, don’t be surprised when you see more “gifts” coming from Him!
Generous Lord, how often You give us beautiful moments we ignore and miss. Open our eyes, ears, and hearts this week to see what You have in store for us. Teach us to be selfless and glorify You by sharing Your blessings in Your name. With eager anticipation we pray, Amen.
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© Copyright 2021 Nancy C. Williams, Lightbourne Creative (text and photography)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
