Sunday, December 16, 2007

Expect the unexpected

It's Sunday. A time of quiet. Of reflection. Of gentle awakening to a beautiful day.

Except. I had to get up early. Had to pick up a client from the shelter where I work and take him to a church where two young women had organized a fund-raiser on behalf of the art program I run at the shelter.

What an amazing experience. I hadn't wanted to get up. Hadn't wanted to be committed to do anything this morning other than spend some lazy time beside the man I love. But, duty called. I'd made an commitment. I had to go. I left C.C. snoozing as I drove off into the quiet of a Sunday morning wishing I was back in bed with him.

I'm glad I left.

And that's the thing about life. We really never know what experience is awaiting behind the next moment. We never know what heart-warming event will open up with every door.

This morning was one of those mornings. Heartfelt. Joyful. Touching. Profound. I wasn't expecting it. Didn't really want to go out into it. Thought about ways I could resist. Could change the course of my morning. I may have missed the moments in bed reading the paper beside C.C., and that's okay. I can do that next Sunday. This Sunday I was given the gift of a young woman's heartfelt attempt to make a difference, to change a little bit of her world, to leave it just a little bit better than it was. And she did.

Who could have known?

The question is: How many times do you go out the door resisting the moment you're stepping into and resenting having to leave the place behind you? How often do you leave yourself open to the surprise of the unexpected opening up before you?

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