The Element of Surprise

I remember an exciting event that will forever be ingrained in my memory.  The element of surprise caused my mind to sputter like a motor running out of gas.  It was as if my brain were trying to shift into a higher gear because low gear was too slow to process the whirlwind of emotions unfolding before me.  For a brief moment, I experienced a complete mental meltdown.  I am usually composed and in control, but this time was different.

Here is what happened.  Without warning, my wife cried out from the other room, “It’s time!”  For a split second, I almost forgot the plan we had rehearsed while waiting for this long-anticipated day.  The moment we had eagerly expected had finally arrived.  It was here—right now—and somehow it caught me completely off guard.

My mind raced as I frantically searched for the suitcase my wife had carefully packed.  For some reason, it had been moved from its “ready-to-go” spot in the family room.  Where was it?

Then my wife called out again, “Help me to the car!  It’s time!”  Our first born was about to make his grand entrance, and he certainly was not going to wait for me to get organized.  Looking back, I’m just thankful I had filled the gas tank the day before.

Amazingly, this same scene repeated itself three different times.  It felt like watching the same movie over and over again.  The uncertainty and emotional upheaval we experienced were caused by Braxton Hicks contractions, commonly known as false labor.  These contractions often occur during pregnancy before true labor begins.  Even though we knew the due date was drawing near, each episode caught us by surprise.  Every time, the element of surprise was just as real as the first.

There was another unforgettable moment in my life when the element of surprise changed me forever.

One evening, I knelt beside my bed and asked God to forgive my sins.  What happened next is something I will never forget.  I have lived with that decision every day since.

It was as though I were standing at a crossroads, weighing the spiritually bankrupt life I had been living against the life of hope I had known during my formative years in a Christian home—a life I had turned my back on in my early teens.

After years of poor choices, I was confronted with a decision: continue down the broad road that leads to destruction or turn and follow God’s way.

As I considered my choice, I felt a deep conviction within my spirit.  I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart, forgive my sins, and give me the peace I believed only He could provide.

Immediately—without the sound of a trumpet or the clash of cymbals—the element of surprise began to unfold.

The only way I can describe it is this: it felt as though the top of my head had been lifted away, and I became overwhelmingly aware of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  In that instant, God’s peace flooded my soul as He lifted the heavy burden of sin I had carried for so long.

The Lord truly forgives sin, but the experience itself must be personally lived.  Words simply fall short of describing what I felt that day.

That unexpected moment became the greatest element of surprise in my life—a life-changing encounter that transformed my attitude, my desires, and the eternal direction of my soul.  Today, by God’s grace, I walk the narrow path that leads to eternal life, trusting in His strength rather than my own.

Written by,

Papa Boyd