Surprise Me: Day 3

Day 3 was indeed the turning point. When I got to work I was told that the 17 year old son of the employee I mentioned yesterday was brain dead and not expected to live. His mother was with him, and I would need to look after her responsibilities. To say I was crushed would be an understatement. I even went to the "super Evangelical" guy, who drives me crazy most of the time, and told him to pray. Well, sorta. I asked him if he was a praying man. He said he was. So I told him then it was time to do just that. He wanted to know why, but I wouldn't tell him. (it was still a secret at the time) I told him the name of the employee, and then told him that the prayers of the blind have great strength. He was shocked at how I was acting. I admit I was behaving pretty weird. He and I don't get along well. We're civil, but that's it. He know I claim to be a christian (though that's simplifying it; I actually don't claim that; I follow the One True God, and the teachings of the Christ), but he doesn't agree with how I "do" my faith. I told him I was being sincere, in asking him to pray; that there was sincerity in me, just deep down. He nodded, and I believe did his job. I believe in the power of intercession, though I have no clue how it works.

I was haunted all day. Now I knew why I'd stayed mum the day before. Was it coincidence? Cynics would say yes, and I am a cynic. But, even I was struggling with this one. It his me on two levels. One, if God shut me up the day before, it was because He knew what was coming. I am comfortable with the fact that God is way smarter than me, so when tragedy strikes and children die, He knows why and that has to be good enough, cause I ain't getting any further enlightenment. But, of course, we still ponder and puzzle and try to find the answer that will Always elude us; and that is perfectly understandable.

The second level, was suddenly I was surprised. A horrible surprise, I'll grant you; but a surprise none the less. I had a story. God was showing me something; and the interesting thing was what I think He was showing me. It wasn't a lesson in listening to that "still small voice". I have a scattered history of doing that. I think it was to tell me that books can open your eyes. That experiment can work for the reader as well as the writer. Does this belittle the tragedy that has struck. Hell know! It is tragedy, the worst kind of tragedy. But I learned a lesson somewhat unrelated to the events that were going to happen anyway. And there's value in that, I believe.

I didn't want a story. I wanted the experiment to fail. It's easy to dismiss something when you're getting nothing out of it. But now I had a story. Now I was surprised. Now my eyes are opened. Perhaps nothing else will happen in these thirty days. Will it all have been worth it, because of this lesson. I'd say so. But we'll shove on anyway and see what happens next.