Waiting to Be Surprised

I'm supposed to be working on a contribution to my church's Lenten devotional book, but I've hit a snag. I had (what I thought was) a great idea on how to structure the devotion based on a psalm, but everything is falling apart. The other morning as the rest of the family slumbered, I sat with my Bible at the kitchen table and pored over the Psalms, but NOTHING seemed right for my idea. I was, understandably, a trifle annoyed and complained (one might say, kvetched) to God about it.

This morning I humorously related my woes in a meeting with five of my dearest friends. One of them gently reminded me, "Because what you had planned is so much better than what God might have planned." To which I had two responses: 1) But my idea was so great! and then 2) Ouch. You are so right, sister.

So here I am. At this point, I am not sure what God has planned. He has yet to reveal it to me. Perhaps I am just to paraphrase a psalm in my own words as a personal prayer, which was one of the suggestions in the devotional guidelines. What is the right thing to do when my vision doesn't seem to align with God's? And all of this with a deadline looming before me, I might add.

But I somehow feel that it is right for me to wait just now. It's late at night, and I am weary inside and out. Tomorrow I will begin again with God. I'll open my Bible but more importantly my heart to the stirrings of the Spirit. I will be more open to what God would say through me. And I'll expect to be surprised.