The unexpected.
Time and time again we are unprepared. We plod through life unready to face the curveballs that come our way.
You’d think after a few of them that we’d be on the lookout. That we’d know they are coming. If not today… tomorrow. You’d think we’d have more strength in our spine to face them.
And yet we are so predictable.
We are usually astonished. Bewildered. And caught off guard by the “unexpected.”
Whether it’s our health, or the health of a dear loved one.
Whether it’s a change of life circumstances that derails our dreams and plans, or something else - the “unexpected” usually has one common factor - it does indeed - derail our own agenda.
With one flourishing swoop.
And we grieve.
Sometimes internally. Sometimes externally.
We wail about the unfairness of it all.
And it IS usually unfair. But isn’t that life?
Why should we be spared hardship and all of it fall upon another? Why should we be allowed to stiffen our necks and rely only on ourselves because we’ve got no reason to lean on anyone else? No reason to lean on God?
Ahh - God. That word alone causes bitterness. Because of course, He usually gets all the blame.
We blame God for our hardships. We blame Him for pretty much everything unfair and unexpected. Everything HARD.
And yet we rarely bless Him for the good. For the joys. The blessings. The graces upon graces and mercy that has been shown to us countless times. The times we were spared consequences. Spared gut-wrenching blows …that…we…really…deserved.
But we blame God because He didn’t say “yes” to our prayers. He didn’t seem good to us. Didn’t seem fair to us. He didn’t grant our wishes.
How entitled we are.
How selfish.
God IS faithful. Even if He doesn’t spare our loved one from pain or death.
God IS good. Even if we get hurt.
I know it. I feel it.
He’s promised it.
The answer can’t always be ‘yes.’ As hard as that is to hear.
We can’t always get our way.
The unexpected will continue to come. And we can learn from it. Grow through it. Be wiser from it. Love greater out of it.
Or we can harden our hearts.
The choice is ours.
