Preparing for my Mom’s 50th Birthday this weekend was one of the most adventurous things I’ve done. In a matter of a week and a half – because that’s when my dad told me he was throwing her not ONE, but TWO surprise birthday parties – my Dad, my sister and myself were able to completely plan the two parties, and I was able to make a cake for my Mom. It became stressful at times, but nothing made me more stressed than when I left to pick up the food.
When I left the first restaurant, literally about an hour before I had to be back home, the breaks began to fail. Thankfully, they didn’t completely stop working, (Praise God!) but it wasn’t working enough that when I’d press down on them completely, it would still take a while for the van to completely stop. Sometimes, if I pressed down a little too hard, it would stop working completely and the van would slide a bit. I still had to go to the next restaurant, but when I arrived there, leaving me with 30 minutes left (which is how long it takes to get home from where I was, using the highway), I decided that I needed to take the side roads to be safe. Thankfully, I wasn’t alone; my Ninong (meaning “Godfather”) was with me.
So here we were, driving, and I’m looking at the time, panicking, and my Ninong all of sudden said, “Why are you worrying? Let’s pray!” (SURPRISE #1) This was such a blessing to me because he and I never prayed together before, but when we did, he knew just what to say and it began to calm me. And then a little later, he noticed that I was still worried. So, out of nowhere, he suddenly said, “Why are you still worrying? We’ve prayed to the Lord, and He will keep us safe! Remember, ‘For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you,” (taken from Matthew 17:20) (SURPRISE #2) Again, I have never really prayed together with my Ninong before, and not only does he offer to pray and even lead the prayer; He suddenly threw the perfect Bible verse at me, EXACTLY when I needed it!
So the plan for the surprise was that we would set the house up after my Mom left for choir practice and choir at Mass at St. Benedict’s (located directly across the street from our house), but when I came home, I realized ALL of the parents who would help us set up, except my Ninong, were actually also part of the choir practice with my Mom so that left me, my Sister, my Ninong, Ali, Zach, and Jared to move tables and chairs from one room to another, and from the basement to the 1st floor, decorate the foyer and the 1st floor, while I still had to finish the cake. And we only had less than an hour! I don’t know how it happened, but with faith and confidence in the Lord, we still found joy and laughter in the moment which should have brought panic, and it happened so perfectly (SURPRISE #2)! As soon as we were finishing, Zach spotted my Mom, and although it was just us at first, we stood by the door, and as she entered, we screamed “SURPRISE!!!!” (SURPRISE #3) And then, all of a sudden, EVERYONE began to flood in! She suspected something, but she thought it would be for Sunday. And little did she know that there really also is another surprise party on Sunday, but with our relatives.
So Sunday came, and she came back from cash counting (counting the tithes) from St. Benedict’s and when she walked in, she stood there, frozen with eyes wide open as we screamed, “SURPRISE!!!!!!” (SURPRISE #4) Although she expected there would be a surprise, and half expected the one on Saturday, little did she know there was a greater plan behind what she “expected”.
You see, my family has almost always been so tightly knit together. We try to always eat as many meals as possible together, we try to save a day each week or a certain block where it’s just family time – no cell phones, no laptops… nothing that can distract – and we’d either watch a movie together, play a board game, go out to eat, or even clean together. And lately, I began to worry because my Mom wasn’t always happy, and she and my dad would argue a lot, but through this weekend, through the stress, adrenaline rushes, but ultimately above all, love, my parents were able to really put all things aside and mend their bond (SURPRISE #5). I witnessed an expression of love without having to use words, and felt warm with His love, through my parents…
Looking at what my experience this weekend, it made me realize that this is what it is every day with the Lord:
- In the preparation of things, sometimes, it’s as simple as reminding myself to stop over-thinking. In faith, I must believe everything has been, and always will be in His hands. It has all been planned out. Even the littlest things (like the drive back when the brakes on the van broke) are in His hands, especially when we lift it up to Him in prayer. Sometimes, we just need to have a little faith (as my Ninong reminded me – Matthew 17: 20)!
- In every moment of celebration… Sometimes, I am so thankful to be in the moment that I’m in, and little do I ever remember that the Lord will ALWAYS have a greater plan for us, and it will ALWAYS be something we do not expect. Because of this, I must always be grateful, even at the times when I reach what I think to be the greatest level of joy, peace, and happiness. Our God is a perfect God, and being a being of imperfection, I will never know what is truly perfect here on earth, except the love of my Father. I must never expect because the Lord will blindsight me with something greater, and if I expect or assume, I will fail to see the greater plan the Lord has set for me.
- Our God is the only one who can give us a life-long, life-giving, never-ending celebration because with Him, there is always something to celebrate. SUPRISE #6: At the end of the day, after we finished cleaning up for the day, my family and I (just the four of us, with our great Lord) ended the day with a worship… a celebration after the celebration.
I know it’s been said many times, but I cannot stop smiling in saying that OUR GOD IS A GOD OF SUPRISES. Life is a gift from the Lord, and when we take care of it and lift it up to Him, acknowledging that EVERYTHING, including every breath, every victory, every pain, every PLAN is His, He will surprise us, especially when we don’t expect it.
“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.“
– Jeremiah 29:11