Surprises

Sometimes a light surprises
The Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord Who rises
With healing in His wings:
When comforts are declining,
He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining,
To cheer it after the rain

In holy contemplation
We sweetly then pursue
The theme of God’s salvation,
And find it ever new;
Set free from present sorrow,
We cheerfully can say,
Let the unknown tomorrow
Bring with it what it may.

-William Cowper, 1731-1800

Some such surprises from last week:

• A drive home at night reflecting on a hard week gone by, enjoying the beauty of the bright moon in a clear sky, then silenced and in awe of the beauty from the combination of truck headlights, fallen leaves, and a wet road.
• A box of Time Life photography books found at our library's book sale.
• Two hours spent wandering downtown Fredericksburg with my camera, then curling up in the window seat of my favorite coffee shop with a good book and a cup of chai.
• An unexpected gift of money toward my laptop.
• Dinner with one friend, lunch with another. An evening of pizza and a bonfire with one group of friends, an evening of hotdogs, fondue, and another bonfire with another group of friends. Good fellowship at all of them.
• Gingerbread syrup arrived at my Starbucks... which means I get my favorite drink several weeks early.
• My favorite sweater was lost for almost a month, but a friend found it for me this weekend.
• Memorized Scripture coming to mind at really good times.
• Finding myself in prayer in the midst of craziness at work.
  
• God showing me the depths of my own heart in painful ways, but finding the pain to be good.
  
• God's truth prevailed, healed me, ministered to my soul, sought me out, firmly grounded, sweetly, convicted, chastened, forgave, revealed, once again found preeminence in my heart.
  
  It was a good week.