Taken by Surprise

I don’t like surprises very much. 

I think it’s because I’m an organized planner and surprises, of course, foil my best laid plans. 

But last week I was surprised {several times over} and I think I’ve been wrong about surprises.

I’m not sure I want to live a life resisting the element of surprise.

For weeks, I’d been trying to make some decisions and I couldn’t seem to arrive at any conclusions.

When a friend I hadn’t seen in a year unexpectedly sent me a text, we made plans to meet for lunch. She so thoughtfully listened to my dilemmas and offered insightful input that I was sure her timely text was heaven-sent.

Then in just one day the fog cleared, clarity arrived and everything I’d been fretting about with work and finances and travel and friendships took me by surprise.

Do you ever wonder how God is working in the details of your everyday life? 

Even though I have questions and doubts, I know that when I can’t see what he’s doing, he’s always moving.

But the way God moves in our lives is everything I dislike about surprises. 

I can't anticipate or ever predict or be certain of his ways because of who he is. I will always be surprised by God, because there’s more to know than I can ever grasp with my finite mind.

He’s not controllable or able to be manipulated or pushed around. 

It's part of the magnificent, completely powerful and unpredictable nature of God to surprise.

So how can I have faith if I don’t like surprises? 

This walk of faith -- this belief in an unseen and invisible God -- is one unexpected, perpetual surprise. I’ll never be able to completely figure it out but I’m learning to surrender to the mystery.

When we move forward in faith, the element of surprise just can’t be eliminated. 

I stumbled upon the website of Elizabeth Minchilli, a writer living in Rome, who offers food tours of her favorite neighborhoods. 

She also hosts food-centric week-long adventures in Rome that sound delizioso. The week is filled with tours and tastings of mozzarella, pizza bianca and deep fried artichokes, a visit to one of Rome’s oldest bakeries, and dinner at one of the oldest wine shops. 

There's a cooking class, a private lunch at the American Academy of Rome, and cappuccinos as you roam with her all over Rome.

As I stared at the online photo of her book, I wondered why it looked so familiar. 

I looked over at my bookshelf and was surprised to see that I already had her book. Sitting there among my books was Eating Rome. 

Then I remembered I’d ordered it a year ago only because Amazon suggested it to qualify my order for free shipping. 

I wasn't planning to visit Rome but thought I’d browse it for the recipes. So I clicked, Add to my Cart and promptly forgot about the book until a few weeks ago.

I exchanged emails with Elizabeth who told me her fall tour was sold out but how about Rome in the spring? 

What really piqued my interest on the itinerary was a day trip to the village of Orvieto to visit an organic goat cheese farm. 

Now if you know anything about my love for goats {just kidding} how could I possibly pass up the opportunity of visiting a goat farm, not once but twice in my life, stateside in Atlanta and overseas in Rome? 

{You can read about my Atlanta goat farm adventure here.}

So I’m going to Rome in March. To meet some Italian goats. 

Where it should come as no surprise that I plan to be continually taken by surprise, pleasantly surprised and caught by surprise. 

Which of course, surprises even me.

I'm having coffee with my friends at Holley Gerth's place at Coffee for your Heart. Join me there for more posts from my blogger friends!