Thank You, God, for Surprise Lilies.
Okay, I’m not sure if any have popped up yet. So maybe I am thanking God for the expectation—for things to come. That is okay. I assume it is okay to have pre-gratitude. But spring has started, and just as the name indicates, surprise lilies are a surprise. So maybe I can also just thank God for good surprises.
This is turning into a lot of things to share because I’m not sure you can talk about pre-gratitude and surprises without also talking about hope.
First, surprise lilies. I love the changing of seasons, especially spring and fall. In spring, the grass begins to green, the birds begin to sing, and thankfully, it begins to get warmer. In the midst of that, the brown grass competes with the grass that is on a mission to grow, and we wonder how much longer we can put off mowing—then, surprise lilies show up. It seems like you can walk around your house, neighborhood, or even the world (well, at least the places where surprise lilies grow) with a vigilant eye, and they will always catch you off guard with their surprise. Sure, they probably have a more official name, but I’m not even going to look it up. (Sometimes a name is too “on the nose” to worry about changing.) Thank You, God, for the beauty of Your creation and the spontaneity of this specific lily—the surprise lily—that reminds me of Your majesty.
Second, pre-gratitude. Thank You, God, for hope and expectations. As healthy and life-giving as finding, writing, and sharing in a gratitude journal is, I also suspect that finding, writing, and sharing the things I am hopeful for are equally rewarding. So, thank You for the hope we have in the spring, in Easter, in Jesus—and may that list be endless. We are a people of hope. Don’t let us lose our hope.
Lastly, surprises. I think surprises go beyond hope—because, as you guessed, they are a surprise. We can’t think of everything. Let me say that again because I need to hear it: We can’t think of everything. No matter how prepared, well-read, well-researched, or well-lived we are, we simply can’t anticipate everything. Who knows if you can tell when a surprise lily is about to bloom? Somebody does. But I am not that person. I am just tickled to death by the beauty of creation. I know that some people hate surprises, which is why, at the beginning, I added the caveat of “good” surprises.
So today, God, thank You. Thank You for the surprise lily. Thank You for the things we can be pre-grateful for. Thank You for hope. And thank You for surprises.
What are you grateful for or pre-grateful for today?
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