Have you ever had God pop into your day with a pleasant little, divinely-orchestrated blessing when you least expected it? Such as the person ahead of you in the coffee shop drive-through paying for your order, or you find a twenty-dollar bill at your feet when you are cash strapped and you really needed a monetary pick-me-up. I’ve experienced both, and although some people would say that I was simply in the right place at the right time, I believe that God’s timing is always perfect and that in life, as a believer, there are no coincidences.

The other day, my wife, Diane, and I went for a short drive to get out of the house for a much-needed stress break. We stopped for coffees to go, and I asked her that if there was one store that she really wanted to stop at, which one would it be? Diane loves thrift stores, and so she mentioned one particular store to me that was close by, so that’s where I steered the car.

Earlier that morning, Diane had been crying and told me that with regards to ongoing and, as yet, unresolved health issues, she felt no hope for her future, hence our little drive and change of scenery. Unbeknownst to me, my dear wife was in search of a long, knee-length winter coat—something that would keep her warm and comfortable through a long Canadian winter. Arriving at the store, I parked the car, and as she got out, I told her to have fun and take her time browsing the store. Less than one minute later, she returned with a winter coat in her hands as my face contorted into a puzzled expression—my first thoughtbeing, did she steal that?

“You won’t believe what just happened,” exclaimed Diane excitedly.

Confused as to how she could have procured a coat so quickly, I, of course, asked, “What?”

“A lady was walking into the store with another lady. She turned around in the doorway and asked me if I wanted the coat she was carrying to give away as a donation.” Diane gleefully showed me the jacket. “It’s a Dakine winter coat. These are very expensive! I was wanting a coat, and God just blessed me with one, and for free!”

My jaw was hanging open, and I couldn’t find the words.

“I was so flabbergasted,” stated Diane as she opened the car door. “I thanked the lady and hugged her. I think my shopping here is done!”

When I finally got my tongue to work, I told Diane to go back into the store and still have some fun looking around. She happily agreed and eventually returned with a nearly new cotton scarf to go with her new coat—a scarf made in Germany, no less. It cost her a whopping $1.75! Yes, my wife is the queen of thrift shopping; with God’s help, I’d like to add.

Why am I sharing this story with you? It’s simple. We serve a God of surprises. He steps into our lives when you least expect it and when you need a blessing the most—a heavenly assurance that we are never alone in our afflictions and that God will never leave us nor forsake us.

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:9 NLT)

No matter what you are going through now or will go through in the future, I want to encourage you to be on the lookout for God’s very active hand upon your life. You just never know when he shows up with a surprise, custom-tailored blessing, just for you. He loves you so much and wants only the best for your life. With God in your court and mine, there is no greater hope for the future and no better chance of being surprised when it’s needed the most.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)

Paul Smyth