Guest Blogger...Cara Putman
Surprise!
This weekend we threw a big party for my husband. All because my six-year-old decided her Daddy needed a surprise party. Emphasis on the word SURPRISE.
I’ll be honest, I would have run out of enthusiasm and energy long before she did. I would have even warned Eric to act surprised because of all the inadvertent hints Abigail dropped except it was the desire of her heart to surprise him. And who am I to cross a determined six-year-old?
So we schemed, sent invitations though evites.com and then gulped as all the RSVPs flooded back. My husband is one loved man.
Then there was the planning. How many adults? How many kids? Where would we put everyone? What would be on the "agenda"? What kind of food to serve? And the kicker: how to get a very smart man out of the house without him suspecting.
Trips to Wal-Mart and the Dollar Tree to get food, decorating supplies and items for goody bags for all the kids.
On the third or fourth attempt, a good friend had better strategies than I did for getting Eric out of the house. After Eric left at 4:30, Abigail and I flew around the house. Blew up balloons, hung streamers, threw meatballs and little smokies in crock pots while praying they'd heat incredibly fast, made the sweet tea, prepared veggie and fruit trays, and then waited.
Would the guests arrive before Eric? Would we get to say, "Surprise." He called before we were ready, so I sent him on a loosely disguised errand to the grocery store. That gave us plenty of time.
It was a blast to watch our friends interact. Some from college days. Others from church. And a couple from the neighborhood. A full house, that thanks to an ice-storm, turned into a modified slumber party. It was a riot! So now my house is quiet again, Eric is back on the road, and the kids and I are relaxing.
As I sit here looking back on the great weekend, I can’t help thinking about the lengths we went to all to surprise my husband. How much more God does to delight us. All we have to do is look at the brilliantly painted sunset, a mountain towering over the plains, or waves cascading against shore. All show the majesty and splendor of a King who is also the ultimate Creator. The little things I did are nothing compared to everything God does. We are just a shadow of Him and His character.
And the kicker to our party? Abigail didn't get to scream "surprise!"
This weekend we threw a big party for my husband. All because my six-year-old decided her Daddy needed a surprise party. Emphasis on the word SURPRISE.
I’ll be honest, I would have run out of enthusiasm and energy long before she did. I would have even warned Eric to act surprised because of all the inadvertent hints Abigail dropped except it was the desire of her heart to surprise him. And who am I to cross a determined six-year-old?
So we schemed, sent invitations though evites.com and then gulped as all the RSVPs flooded back. My husband is one loved man.
Then there was the planning. How many adults? How many kids? Where would we put everyone? What would be on the "agenda"? What kind of food to serve? And the kicker: how to get a very smart man out of the house without him suspecting.
Trips to Wal-Mart and the Dollar Tree to get food, decorating supplies and items for goody bags for all the kids.
On the third or fourth attempt, a good friend had better strategies than I did for getting Eric out of the house. After Eric left at 4:30, Abigail and I flew around the house. Blew up balloons, hung streamers, threw meatballs and little smokies in crock pots while praying they'd heat incredibly fast, made the sweet tea, prepared veggie and fruit trays, and then waited.
Would the guests arrive before Eric? Would we get to say, "Surprise." He called before we were ready, so I sent him on a loosely disguised errand to the grocery store. That gave us plenty of time.
It was a blast to watch our friends interact. Some from college days. Others from church. And a couple from the neighborhood. A full house, that thanks to an ice-storm, turned into a modified slumber party. It was a riot! So now my house is quiet again, Eric is back on the road, and the kids and I are relaxing.
As I sit here looking back on the great weekend, I can’t help thinking about the lengths we went to all to surprise my husband. How much more God does to delight us. All we have to do is look at the brilliantly painted sunset, a mountain towering over the plains, or waves cascading against shore. All show the majesty and splendor of a King who is also the ultimate Creator. The little things I did are nothing compared to everything God does. We are just a shadow of Him and His character.
And the kicker to our party? Abigail didn't get to scream "surprise!"
posted by Tricia Goyer @ 8:22 AM
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