God's Surprises

"Don't recite the same prayer over and over as the heathen do, who think prayers are answered only by repeating them again and again. Remember, your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!

"Pray along these lines: 'Our Father in heaven, we honor your holy name. We ask that your kingdom will come now. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is i heaven. Give us our food again today, as usual, and forgive us our sins, just as have forgiven those who have sinned against us. Don't bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One. Amen.' Your heavenly Father will forgive you if you forgive those who sin against you; but if you refuse to forgive them, he will not forgive you." Matthew 6:8-15 (TLB)

Becky Sutherland, from South Carolina, studied Greek in her college years to fulfill a language requirement. She chose a biblical language because it would help her in understanding scripture. Becky enjoyed the classes as well as the chance to practice Greek with her classmates.

Years later, after an unsuccessful marriage and with five young children to support, Becky was looking for a job where she could work from home. Working from home was not common at that time. Her mother was a medical transcriptionist, and she was good at typing. So Becky set out to learn medical terminology on order to establish a career. As Becky began, she was delighted to see that she already knew a lot of the terminology because the Greek roots were familiar to her/ What a joy! In a time of insecurity, it felt like an affirmation from God when she realized she had been preparing for this new role without knowing it.

Now, as she walks through life's many twists and turns, Becky can trust God's purposes more easily. She trusts that challenging times are part of a bigger, perhaps divine plan. Looking for God's surprises makes life's journey richer.

Prayer: O God, help us remember the ways you have worked in our lives, and give us vision and wisdom to see what you are doing now, in Jesus' name. Amen.