How does your faith hold up to surprises?

During the season of Lent I have been participating in the “Surprise Me, God” experiment. This is not my first time doing this. In the fall of 2008 Pastor John made reference to this book in a sermon and he asked us to start our days by praying “Surprise Me, God.” It did not take me long to decide I had had enough surprises and abandoned the exercise.  

This time around, with the book in hand, I have a new way of looking at the exercise. As I have been accumulating my surprises, I've thought of the people around the world who have had their share of surprises.  I wonder if anyone in Haiti or Chile was participating in the “Surprise Me, God” experiment.  

As I read Terry Esau‘s book and absorbed his surprises of being able to have lunch with a friend at D'amico’s or finding the mecca for purse shopping in New York City, I wonder how I would respond if my surprise for the day was that my world was turned upside down (literally) – no longer with a home to rest in, a place to go to work, no restaurants to eat in or friends to meet.  My reasons for ending my first “Surprise me God” experiment seem trivial compared to the hardships the residents near the fault lines have faced. How would my faith hold up in such a disaster? Would I blame God?  Would I ask for his guidance as I start to rebuild my life?

I think these are good questions to ask ourselves before we are surprised by something that could turn our lives upside down. Is God in my life only when life is going well? Or is God in my life only when I need help?  Am I talking to God as much as I would with a good friend?
God would like to have a relationship with us at all times – the good times and the bad. God is like a friend who is always there – always reaching out to us. Terry Esau sums up his "Surprise Me, God" experiment with this conclusion: “God loves us so much that he wants to spend his days with us. Not just eternity, but today and tomorrow and the next day. Not just watching us, but walking with us. Not just observing but engaging with us.” Maybe our next experiment should be “Engage with God.”