December 13, 2012 (Thursday)
The character, Gomer Pyle, was well-known for his, “Surprise, surprise, surprise!” exclamation. Always spoken with a big smile. Recently I’ve read a few news articles that show how such an exclamation could be appropriate.
Today’s news reports that the mother of USA’s first quintuplets, born in 1963, has died at age 79. The article recounted the day the parents were told they had five babies on the way. The father “shook” and the mother “cried.” Surprise!
A few days ago, a news item appeared that told us about a woman whose husband had died. As she went about the process of will probation, she discovered that her husband had divorced her eight years before his death! Surprise!
Today, we read about a woman who killed her husband in self-defense because he was horribly abusive to her. As his body was examined by medical personnel, the discovery was made that “he” was a woman! The wife had no idea. (You may wonder how that could happen. Look it up). “Surprise!”
Life is filled with surprises, isn’t it? Some are simple and ordinary. Others bizarre, like those cited here. Then there are surprises straight from heaven. When you have such a surprise, it falls under the heading, “Serendipity.”
Once there was a very young girl in a tiny village engaged to a young man. Suddenly an angel appeared to each of them, announcing the birth of their son. Why was this a surprise? Because they had never been intimate. There could be no birth, because there had been no conception. But wait! Her husband-to-be was not the father. She would give birth to the Son of God! Surprise!
Into a world of woe, the Savior miraculously came. Born as a baby in a small town, in a stable, with a manger for a bed. But wait. Angels by the thousands sang to the shepherds of the hills. Great men came from long distances with expensive gifts for him, for they said he was a king whose birth had been announced by a miraculous star. Surprise!
His coming into the world, his sinless life, his supernatural teachings, his sacrificial death, and his glorious resurrection changed the world. Serendipity. Surprise!