It was one of those days when hubby had a long, exhausting day at work; then he was going out for a work dinner afterwards, so he wouldn’t be home until late.
I didn’t bother to wear makeup that day … I hadn’t even properly fixed my hair but rather just pulled it back in a ponytail. After all, no one would see me.
It was around 5pm and I had just started slicing potatoes for my dinner when the driveway Ring notification went off. Did we order something??
I paused what I was doing and went to take a look out the front window. Lo and behold! … it was my son’s car! Talk about surprise!
I was taken by surprise … when I least expected it!
I swung the front door open for my son and gave him a big hug as he came inside. He had a small brown box in his hands, about which he was very excited.
He asked me, “Mom, have you ever heard of The Flour Box?”
No, no I hadn’t.
The Flour Box is a fancy schmancy donut shop in downtown Seattle which sells gourmet donuts! They only offer 4 flavors of donuts at a time, and they swap out their flavors every couple of weeks. This week their donut flavors are Japanese themed: Yuzu Curd, Jasmine Milk Tea, Kimchi, and Red Bean Cream. They are only open a few days a week; they open at 10am and usually sell out by 12:30pm.
Whoa! Those must be something special donuts!
My son’s coworker was making a special trip into downtown specifically to go to The Flour Box and he had asked my son if he wanted him to pick something up for him while he was at it. My son jumped at the opportunity! He had his coworker bring back a Yuzu Curd and a Jasmine Milk Tea donut.
And in that small brown box that my son carried in … were the two prized donuts!
My son had driven all the way to our house on his way home from work, so that he could share these two prized donuts with hubby and me! Is that not amazing!
I got out a plate for each donut, and my son cut each donut in half. Half of a donut for me & hubby … and half a donut for my son & his wife. Then he cut each of our halves in half again … 1/4th for me, 1/4th for hubby … and 1/4th for my son, 1/4th for his wife.
We were both beside ourselves with excitement to see what these fancy schmancy donuts tasted like. We decided to try the Yuzu Curd first. Yuzu is in the citrus family, a subspecies of the mandarin orange. My son and I each raised our 1/4th donut piece together in a celebratory toast … then took our first bite.
It was amazing! I had never tasted a flavor like it before. It was totally on another level when it comes to donuts!
I felt very rich getting to eat a fancy gourmet donut!
After oooo’ing and aaahhh’ing over the Yuzu Curd donut, we each toasted our 1/4th piece of Jasmine Milk Tea donut. It was every bit as delicious!
My son was so delighted to surprise me!
I laughed that he certainly did surprise me! No makeup, no fancy hair … he had caught me just as I was.
It made me think of the coming of the Lord.
I was taken by surprise (when my son showed up)! When I least expected it. And it was someone whom I loved very much who showed up! And he had brought a super fancy special treat for me!
That’s what it’s going to be like when Jesus comes back for those who love him. We will be taken by surprise! When we least expect it. And it will be Jesus … whom we love very much! Just like swinging my front door open and wrapping my son in a big hug! It will be Jesus who shows up!
And he will be coming with a super fancy special treat for us … Heaven! He will be coming to swoop us out of this world and take us straight to Heaven!
I have been writing recently on the blog about Paul arriving in Corinth. Shortly after arriving in Corinth Paul wrote a letter to his dear friends in Thessalonica. (this is the book of 1 Thessalonians in our Bible.) Paul spent a substantial part of his letter talking about the return of Jesus Christ.
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
Talk about encouragement during hard times!
That is some serious encouragement right there!
It’s going to be just like my son showing up suddenly:
“For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night … So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. … Since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
– 1 Thessalonians 5:2-11
My son’s surprise visit with a super special fancy treat was a huge encouragement to me!
In the same way, being able to look forward to Jesus’s surprise return is a huge encouragement! It gives us hope in hard times!
Jesus is going to show up suddenly … taking us by surprise! When we least expect it! And he’s going to be bringing a super special fancy treat for us! … Heaven!
But we have to be in the family!
My son didn’t show up at just anybody’s house with a super special fancy treat for them. He showed up at my house … because we are family.
Jesus is only going to show up for those who are in God’s family. Only those who have repented of their sin and accepted Jesus’s free gift of salvation.
Are you in God’s family?? Have you repented of your sin and accepted Jesus’s free gift of salvation?
When Jesus shows up suddenly, will he be coming to bring you his super special fancy treat??
