Spiritual Life is Full of Surprises

Some of us love surprises. A thrill runs through us when we discover something we did not expect. Surprises are always new. We see surprises as gifts life gives us to keep us on our toes. Surprises help us be more open to the spiritual life in the world around us.

Others see surprises as part of our worst case scenario. Surprises mean there are things we did not anticipate, for which we did not plan. Surprises may disrupt our carefully controlled schedules. Surprises may keep us from checking off all our boxes.

Of course, not all surprises are created equal. There are surprises like finding forgotten friends, or money. There are also surprises like collisions and natural disasters. We may be surprised by finding a true friend, or by losing them. Some surprises we welcome, some we work very hard to avoid.

For me, spiritual life is filled with surprises. Some are welcome, some I try to avoid.

There are the surprises of connecting, and reconnecting, with people. The surprises of trying new things and discovering I like the way they taste. There are the days of surprising realizations. The surprise of That might not be such a weird idea after all. The surprises of sunshine in the middle of a cloudy day, or the sudden scent of roses.

It often surprises me there are still lessons for me to learn, or continue learning. The surprise of seeing life from someone else’s point of view.

We appreciate surprises more deeply as we learn to recognize them as gifts, not interruptions. Even surprises we struggle to avoid have lessons to teach us.

Our readiness to be surprised is essential to spiritual life.

When has spiritual life surprised you lately?

What surprises does spiritual life have for you today?

[Image by Tetsumo]