When was the last time God surprised you?

I mean really surprised you?

Sometimes life starts moving so fast that I forget to stop and remember what God is doing. Here are a couple examples.

Last May I started wondering if I would need to get a MBA at some point. Because I teach business law in graduate business programs and my classes were expanding, it seemed to make sense. However, MBAs are expensive and I don’t plan to use it in the normal way. Our lives as a family is high-paced and full. In other words, it just didn’t make sense, so I tabled it without much thought. A month later my boss and mentor approached me and asked if I’d considered getting a MBA. I told him I’d consider it, fully expecting the answer to be I couldn’t do it. Then God began opening doors. As I write this I’m in a marketing class in my second semester of classes in a 20 month program. There are a series of miracles or ways that God has shown up all along this journey. He’s surprised me with His grace in this area. I don’t want to forget.

With Shadowed by Grace, He has shown how His timing is so much better than mine. I first talked to editors about this book in fall of 2010. I didn’t land a contract for the book until late summer 2012. Then the book releases in January 2014. In 2010, we didn’t know that in February 2014 George Clooney would release a movie talking about the same group of Monuments Men. It’s been fun to talk to people who are just now hearing about these important soldiers thanks to marketing for the movie.

God also gave me a team that caught the vision for telling this story. Their passion for the book has driven all kinds of creativity I wouldn’t have had if left to my own experience and thoughts. God’s grace extended in ways I couldn’t begin to anticipate.

How has God shadowed your life with grace?