My daughter Janelle loves connecting, bonding, and strengthening relationships. About one month prior to her July birthday, I believe a God-given thought came to my mind which I shared with my husband Daniel. “How about we travel to the west coast and surprise her for her birthday—spending time with her and letting her know how special and loved she is?”
There were flight reward points available which made the choice even sweeter, and our schedule was clear to be away from home for seven days, so when we checked with our daughter’s husband David to see how it would work out, he was all in! Shhh – it’s a secret.
We had one month to prepare. We’d been very busy with gardening season and a plenteous harvest, and we would also be helping at the General Conference Session in St. Louis, Missouri, for almost two weeks. While we were at the GC, we became sick and had to return home earlier than we had planned, but we were most grateful to recover sufficiently and keep our flight. Relationships are paramount, after all, and most precious.
Packing several days prior to our flight, I almost spilled the beans to my daughter. Desiring to pack lighter and leave some things home, I was getting ready to text her about using several items of hers while there. Thankfully, between my husband and the promptings from the Lord, that was stopped in time; but I became concerned that I would forget and say something to Janelle that would take away the surprise. So I ended up stretching a rubber band across my cell phone and iPad to jog my memory. Shhh!
While driving to the St. Louis airport two hours away, Janelle called both of us and we let her calls go to voice mail. We didn’t dare talk to her then, and we made sure not to send a family group text when we safely arrived at the airport, or when we were ready for take-off.
The flight was uneventful, and our son-in-law and granddaughter met us outside the airport. Excitedly, we began the short trip to our daughter’s house. Discussing how we would reveal our presence to Janelle, Dan and I shared about her phone calls and the text message we had not responded to. And as David called Janelle, we kept very quiet as we heard her concerned words, “I don’t know why my father is not returning my call—that is very unlike him.”
Next, David reminded Janelle that he and Emma had picked up her birthday gift and that she would need to be in the middle of the house when he drove up the driveway. Emma would come lead her outside, where the present would be waiting.
David videotaped the short walk outdoors as Emma led her eyes-closed mother through the doorway and onto the back porch. Opening her eyes, Janelle looked straight ahead at her husband and the van, but was unaware of any gift. Little Emma was pointing to the right, so Janelle turned her head to look. And then she saw us!
The look of shock on her face told us she was totally surprised that the birthday gift would be her parents! Laughing, covering her face, and crying, she came over to hug us, explaining she had no idea! She had no clue that we were coming to celebrate her birthday.
What joy it was to spend that week with her family, singing happy birthday to our daughter in person (when usually we call her and singing happy birthday over the phone). The days sped by, and soon it was time to travel back to southern Illinois and our regular schedule.
However, the time invested in celebrating our daughter and letting her know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was our high priority and what a gift she was to us, well, that was the best ever!
God needs to be our priority, and when He returns the second time, instead of being surprised, our words of assurance will be, “‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation’” (Isaiah 25:9).
