Counting my suprises

Inspired by this lovely article by J.I Packer.

I guess the first and biggest one of God's surprises in my life was that He'd call me to Himself in the first place. I was saved when i was seventeen years old, through the work of a Christian girlfriend and her family. Though i'd been to Sunday school i'd never considered the claims Jesus had on my life. Then one night God bought me under a deep conviction that if the Gospel was true i was in a lot of trouble. There and then at the foot of my bed i asked God to forgive me and Christ to be my Lord. I've never once regretted it, which is probably surprise number two!

God surprised me a lot at Uni. In my first year by having me be asked, as a timid, lonely fresher to co lead a cell group, and then surprising me even more when i wasn't horrible at it. When i reflect on my love for scripture and my desire to read it, i can only come back to the training i received as a cell leader, which planted those seeds in my heart.

While i was in India that summer i first thought i'd really like to lead the CU. I pretty much shut those thoughts down as ridiculous, which, apart from God working in me they would have been. I can still remember the feeling, like my heart was exploding, when the outgoing Chairman asked me to succeed him. I'd never been more surprised, until i started to do it, and with the help of Bish, eight other committee members and a faithful and passionate CU, it went pretty well. Which still surprises me today!

I'd known God was calling me to Relay for a long time before i started in Guildford in September 2006. What surprised me there? Well, it was harder than i ever imagined it would be, and i was lonelier than i ever imagined i would be. But God taught me about His grace, and His power, and, though i should have worked it out by that point, it still surprised me that my time there was fruitful for the CU at Surrey. Massively for me as well.

Which brings me to the last surprise. I never thought that going on a summer team at the end of my Relay year would end up in me getting married. But it has. Meeting Rachel, dating Rachel, and getting engaged to Rachel is as big a surprise as there has been. She is more perfect for me that i can say, and if grace is God's unmerited favour in our lives (which it is) then she is a huge and clear evidence of God's grace in my life. With the exception of the first, she is turning into the greatest surprise of them all!