Have You Been Surprised by God Lately?

“The whole earth is full of his glory”—Isaiah 6:3(KJV).

Listening as our associate pastor read the familiar words, I marveled anew at God’s love for us. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

God didn’t have to create anything. He didn’t have to create the birds of the air or the flowers we love to pick or the other multitude of creatures and plants for our enjoyment. Just as He created us for His pleasure, He wanted us to enjoy and take care of His creation. Oh how we have failed—all of us. I take comfort, however, in the fact that He never fails us.

As I glanced out my kitchen window this morning, I was surprised by God. A large red-headed woodpecker was enjoying the suet at the feeders hanging on the edge of my deck. This beautiful creature, along with the various other birds that visit each day, are stunning. The variety in their size, shape and color leaves me breathless. How easy it would have been for God to make them all alike. How boring would that be? But, He didn’t.

God loved us so much that He went out of His way to create, to spend five days deliberately preparing a Creation He called “good.” In today’s world, it’s sometime difficult to find the good in the midst of all the chaos.

A recent quote by an unknown author gave me pause. The author said, “The New Year is a time to learn to rely more heavily on the grace of God.”

To do this, I’ve realized I have to let go of some things to make way for His work in my life. Here are some suggestions to help all of us unclutter our lives:

Stop buying the unnecessary. We’re all guilty of this, regardless of our income.
Toss half your stuff, learn contentedness. I’ve been working on this by donating my stuff. Guess what? I don’t miss those things.
Reduce half again. This can be a challenge, but as a friend said recently, “If you haven’t worn or used it in the last year, it’s not necessary. Get rid of it.”
List four essential things in your life; do these first and stop doing the non-essential. We live in a world where there are too many choices to distract us from the important things in life. Take time to evaluate and pray about those choices.
Clear distractions, focus on each moment. Turn off the TV, put down the cell phone and eliminate the things that take you away from God and your loved ones.
Let go of attachment to doing and having more. When you are older, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do.
Fall in love with less. Less means more time for the important things like spending time with Jesus and your loved ones.

When we unclutter our lives, we can make room for His amazing grace. Isn’t it time to open yourself to the blessings that follow when we let God surprise us?