The Unexpected.....sort of...

 

Today the snow falls gently outside covering our little world. The air is cold. The roads are icy. It is winter. Being mid-November this should not come as a surprise in the prairies. Our warm fall days extended far this year offering an extra bit of grace before winter settled in. Despite my ample warning and past experience with winter it seems to catch me off guard every year. Yes, the Christmas lights went up before the frost and the snow shovels were dug out, but our car still dons the tires that prefer sunshine and I cleared the windshield with a library card. I wasn't ready for this. As I slipped and slided downtown this morning I was drawn to grumbling. Why winter? Why again?  I just didn't expect this this morning. I don't want to have to layer up as if I am intending to trek for days in the tundra to merely get groceries. Grumbling. Discontent at the "unexpected".

Graciously God has given me a three year old that often sheds perspective on my life in wonderful and sometimes convicting ways. With great joy J informed me that snow had fallen. Could we go and play outside? Was the hockey rink ready in the backyard? Is this the snow we can make a snowman with? Wonder. Joy at the "unexpected".

In many ways this season of life is "unexpected". Not just the snow outside but the challenge of growing a family, the challenge that is church and community, the challenges of beginning of a new career. Unexpected......sort of. Yet, the Bible is clear about our lives. That they are not intended to be perfect. They are not intended to be without challenge. When we face these challenges head on.....with Joy.....our character is being molded into that which God desires for us. Like the snow, which I should have expected. I feel caught off guard. To find joy in the "unexpected" journey. To trust and anticipate what God has in store for me....for our family. I thank Him that it is becoming easier to embrace the journey that I hadn't planned. To trust that this is the journey He planned even if I can't see how it is infinately better for me in the end.  God has been gracious in revealing to us the joys of adopting in the midst of this journey. In leading us down this perhaps "unexpected" path we have been blessed with new relationships and incredible excitement for the son or daughter that is waiting for us in Africa. Without this challenge we wouldn't know the same joy or blessing of this journey. The "unexpected" one.

 On this snowy afternoon, we bundled up as a family, found a snowy hill and enjoyed the ride. Oh that I might learn to enjoy the ride every day. Snow or sunshine. Expected or unexpected.