Genuinely surprised!

I'm co-leading this Principles in Child and Youth Ministry school with a Swedish friend called Ingela. She was a student on a PCYM that I led in Scotland - back in 1991 - and it's been a lot of fun, nearly two decades later, to lead this European PCYM together.

Both of us turned 50 at the beginning of May: I on the 4th, and Ingela just one day later on May 5th. Now that more than a whole month has passed, my birthday was not at all in my mind when some of the PCYM students asked if we could come over to their place for a surprise get-together this evening. So I was genuinely surprised when it turned out to be a double 50th birthday party with snacks and gifts for Ingela and myself.

I've always imagined that surprise parties cannot really be a surprise, and that the person must surely suspect something is afoot. But my South African friends caught me totally off guard when they threw a surprise braai (barbecue) for my fortieth birthday, and now I've been surprised again with a belated 50th party. Maybe I'll not be so unsuspecting when it comes to my sixtieth!!

In some ways, the biggest surprise of all was that my 50th birthday found me back in Europe. I would never have suspected that at all at the time when I was celebrating my fortieth. But, when I had my thirtieth birthday in Europe, it's equally true that I would never have imagined I'd be living in Africa when it came to my fortieth. And so, now in 2009, I'm not sure how confident I would be to predict where this next decade might take me.  

Tonight, at the birthday party, one of the people in the group asked me if I have any dreams or desires for this next decade of my life. And, to be totally honest, the biggest desire of my heart is that I would "finish well" - that I would continue to be sensitive and obedient to God's direction and never settle for second best. Studies show that only 30% of Christian leaders finish the race well. My heart's prayer is that I would be among the 30%.