The Joy of Surprises

I have been working diligently on the third book in my Legacy series. Some scenes come easily while others resist my efforts and disappear like invisible ink. Today’s writing went well and my characters gave me a lot of worthy material.

I went to my physical therapy session and my therapist asked about my book. I shared how easily the words flowed onto the page and that I was getting closer to the end. She asked if this would be the last book in the series. My response was that it probably would be unless “something” surprising happened in the next few chapters. It wouldn’t be the first time my characters surprised me and lengthened a book.

There is joy in surprises. It could be a moment of unexpected conversation that turns into a life-changing decision. It may be meeting with a complete stranger who changes the dynamics of a home. Perhaps a rescue dog appears out of nowhere asking for love and finds it among the most unlikely people.

As a writer, I feast on surprises brought about by my characters when I least expect it. I plan for certain things to happen but occasionally they take me on a detour. So today I wonder if Legacy’s Truth will be the final book in the series. Time will tell. I need to be open to whichever direction they take me instead of clinging to the plan I had.

We make plans too, setting goals, and looking ahead. We might plan to retire next year, get married, accept a new position, or other big decisions. Sometimes God intervenes and at some point in a chapter of our life, He may appear with a joyful surprise—a detour which takes you in a different direction.

God might call you into a ministry instead of allowing you to retire. the person you plan to marry may not be the one God desires for you. You might have a major career shift with fantastic opportunities.

God writes the story of our life. He alone knows how each chapter progresses and how the story ends. He doesn’t leave us in a mundane life, He loves adding joyful surprises along the way and breathing life into our story. If we stubbornly cling to life within our comfort zone, refusing to accept His surprises, we will miss the joy God wants to create in our life.

In my books there are different types of surprises. Some appear as a result of tragedy, while others are simply a gift or come from unexpected decisions. The same has been true of my life. I’ve learned to accept them, knowing God has only good things planned for me. He is the author and finisher of my faith.