Responding to the Unexpected

No matter how well you think you have things planned out in a day, there will always be things that come at us that we weren't expecting. I was recently watching a clip of a mountain biker in an African game park. As he was racing on his bike, out of nowhere came a huge antelope and totally took him out (check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPEETDfvzvA). So how are you going to respond today when something unexpectedly flies in your face? You'll have a lot of choices which essentially fall into two categories. The first kind of responses could look like anger, frustration, irritation, jealousy or offense. The second kind could look like peace, forgiving, trusting God, kind, or thankfulness. Obviously there's a huge difference between these two groups of responses, and we get to choose which one we'll embrace. Too often something that happens to us can bring out the worst in us, which can in turn affect the rest of your day or even longer. There are many examples within the Bible of people who had unexpected things happen to them, but they still chose to have the right response. Psalm 61 tells us, "From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings."When things happen today that you weren't planning on, let it be an opportunity for you not to lose your peace and joy, but to run to the Lord :)