Taking God by Surprise

This post started as a reply to a comment that was made on my blog post, "Dear God, thanks for nothing," but after writing a while, I realized it was more than a mere comment. So, here it is...

Why doesn't God directly tell us exactly what is expected of us? That's a great question to ponder. I think of my own child; even at 5, I allow her to make as many choices as possible. Sure, I still have some clear expectations, but my hope and plan is that as she grows older, she makes more and more decisions on her own. Some I may disagree with, some may surprise me, but she must have the freedom to discover, and sometimes even forge, her own path in life in order to live fully into who she is. If I were to dictate too much, the beauty and uniqueness that is Aliyah would be lost.

I think our relationship with God is similar. When we are young, we are given some clear, simple, easy to understand guidelines, but as we mature, we are allowed to explore more and more on our own, to discover the beauty of life and to forge our path. We do this while in a relationship with God that is hopefully deepening, but is also dynamic. Yes, I think we sometimes even surprise God. To propose that God can be surprised, by the way, is not necessarily heresy. Read Clark Pinnock, "Most Moved Mover." In speaking of our loving relationship with God, Pinnock says, "Love is a pilgrimage into the unknown because it does not know the outcome of every detail in advance. There is an element of the unknown because love abandons securities and goes on a journey."

So, as frustrating as it sometimes is to not hear directly and audibly from God, sometimes it may also be a gift and an avenue to a fuller life and a greater relationship with God and with one another.