There were predictables on Sunday. John and I went with Benjamin to the service together, and enjoyed hymns we have been singing my whole life long. No surprises there. The children's choir had several selections that filled the cathedral with both their sweet voices, and the innocence we all aspire to at Easter. Those pieces were a surprise, though I daresay not to the organist who accompanied them. 

The minister spoke about the not too pleasant surprises that fall across our paths, be it a flat tire on our bike, or a friend jumping out of a closet. Other kinds appear and are welcome, like getting a good grade on a test we worried about. 

Mary and the disciples were startled to find the stone rolled away from the tomb, and an angel protecting it. This was unexpected, but remarkable. Yet we can wonder about their incredulity, since Jesus explicitly told them the events ahead of time. Sometimes hearing is not enough, at least for a forgetful person like myself. 

As I sat listening I was surprised that Benjamin laid his head on my shoulder. It is a tender gesture from a son/man who stands three inches taller than me, and is not what you might call cuddly. Either the affections in the story, or the peacefulness of the music softened him enough to cling to his old mother, the one who hid a basket for him that morning. 

In truth I had not planned to. He is old enough to grow a full beard, and I assumed he was done with them. But when he parked himself in front of me before breakfast with that puppy dog look, I knew to ask.

"Were you hoping to get an Easter basket?" 

"Yes," he said without hesitation. I guess surprises are not out of fashion for young men. 

I gathered jelly beans, and chocolate, flowers and fruit, and covered it with fabric. After a bit of distraction I invited him to hunt. Without too much trouble, he found it under a chair. 

I have empathy for God's predicament. Leaving us in the free fall of uncertainty does not always endear us to Him, yet rote routines leave something to be desired as well. How is God to navigate children who hunger for a few surprises, not too many and not too abrupt? We also ask for sweetness, and the familiar. 

It turns out that if I am ripe for more surprises I can ask God for them. He is willing to oblige.