By Jim Nichols

She sensed that her elementary-aged child was reluctant to go to school one morning. Speaking to the child, she said, “I believe that God has a surprise for you today. I want you to keep your eye out for it and tell me about it when I pick you up this afternoon.”

Some might suspect that this was just a mom trick to gain some obedience from her child. That misses the message that her comment might well be true for that child that morning. In fact, it might well be true for each of us. That is, we often find something only when we are looking for it. Specifically, we often find God’s blessings only when we are looking for them.

Our observation powers get sidetracked by too much focus on ourselves. I talk to myself a lot, and I suspect you do too. We have learned to do this silently lest those around us think we are strange, but sometimes they do overhear. Do you ever have to apologize to a nearby person for talking to yourself? I do.

Perhaps we talk to ourselves to make sense of the world around us. “Why does that person say and do such things? Do they not know better? Why were there not people in their life that could guide them in a more positive way?”

The irony, of course, is that others are wondering the same about us.

Perhaps it would be a good approach to take the advice of that smart mom. As I begin a day (or a class or a meeting), I could tell myself that God has a surprise waiting for me there; see if I can identify it.

One of the features of scripture is the number of illustrations (especially by Jesus) that include something being lost and sought after. Coins get lost, sheep get lost, sons get lost. The searches are extensive and have great importance. Part of that is emphasizing God’s continual search for people to recognize and follow him; another part emphasizes that we humans have a responsibility to seek things of importance. God has modeled the activity for us.

God has “surprises” (blessings) waiting for us to discover but often they are not obvious. A favorite childhood game I played was “Hide the Thimble.” In this simple game, we would get a sewing thimble and one person designated as “it” (why is there always someone who must be “it”?) would have to close their eyes while the thimble was hidden in the room in plain sight. With open eyes now, that child would have to find the thimble. Depending on how large the room was or how much shelf space of knickknack material was around, this could be difficult even though the thimble was clearly visible if one knew where to look. If they wished, onlookers could encourage and inform “it” by hints such as “You are really cold now.” “You are getting warmer” (as “it” got closer to the thimble.) “You are hot” (as the player stood right in front of the thimble but still did not seem to see it.)

As we begin a new day, we should live in expectation of the blessings being spiritually revealed, although perhaps initially spiritually hidden. Is it possible that the Holy Spirit is beside us with urgings such as “You are cool right now but headed toward warmth. Keep looking.”

A favorite scripture from the book of Lamentations (to me a somewhat unexpected place to find such wisdom) reminds us “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

We all get the same grace and mercy, but it does not come to each of us in the same size or shape. It is “personalized,” so to speak. We need eyes to see and sense it.

Did the smart mother sending off her child know about some specific “surprise” waiting? I doubt it. She was wise enough, however, to know that multiple blessings awaited the child and she wanted the child to identify which one to tell her about in the afternoon. 

Similarly, our responsibility is to live expectantly and with trust and confidence that the day will hold blessings for us.

 Jim Nichols is a retired Abilene Christian University biology professor and current hospital chaplain