Surprise

Up on one of the Palmer Park lookout places today...to take some pics for Christmas. A brisk but beautiful morning with light diffusing well...perfect for taking pictures.

One hundred or so yards away, a barking dog...no two. The hillside is covered with scrub oak and desert like vegetation. Squatty coverage all browned out in the impending wintery weather. All quiet and still till then..lifeless.

Suddenly...out of the scrub a doe jumps...and then her mate sporting a fine rack. They bound because of the bark and within seconds they are gone and all is quiet again.

There are lots of suddenlies in life. Perhaps you too will face one today.

The bark, the suprise appearance. The sudden arrest of attention.

And perhaps it will be a menacing not beauty that appears.

And we did not know it was even near...until the moment of surprise.

Today...remember that "Satan himself masquerades...so it is not surprising if his servants masquerade." II Corinthians 11:13-15

And the moment of true revelation can come as a great surprise.

If you are near or in such a moment...stand firm, don't let the surprise divert you from the call you have from the Lord...and don't be discouraged. This kind of surprise, has been a part of life on the plant since the first pages of record - see Genesis 3.

May we be strong in the time of surprise.