If you didn’t read the title with a Gomer Pyle voice and if you are unaware of who he is, your life has been deprived. Please stop reading now, go to a search engine, and solve the mystery before you read any further.

Continuing the theme from the last post entitled Surprise and Delight, the challenge to create a jaw-dropping, gaping mouth experience is not easily achieved. As an investigator-personality type, rarely does a mystery, movie, or show really confound me as it’s normal to follow the breadcrumbs without too much difficulty to the predictable conclusion of “who did it.” Because this Surprise, Surprise, Surprise occurs so rarely, the memorable moments stick firmly and remain fixed in my mind.

Sitting in a theater in Jackson, Tennessee back in 1999, such a moment happened towards the end of the movie, The Sixth Sense. Most people distinctly remember the famous line from actor Haley Joel Osment’s character, Cole Sear, who claims, “I see dead people;” however, it was a niggling detail that would not go away that haunted my mind. Unable to ignore meaningless details, at one time during the movie, I silently thought when seeing Bruce Willis’ character, Dr. Crowe, “he’s been wearing the same shirt on different days throughout the movie!” Little did I know that a minute detail like this would make sense once the surprise ending was revealed, but that revelation blew my mind!

Surprises, especially when I am the one attempting a feat of spontaneity, usually result in different endings such as the time I drove to Nashville to surprise Karol on her Christmas visit to Tennessee, only to have her reveal over the phone that a changed flight had her arriving in Memphis instead! Surprise, Surprise, Surprise! (Gomer voice).  

Two other memories surface when on the receiving end of Surprise and Delight, one spring day in 2012, I arrived home from classes to beautiful chalk graffiti covering my driveway thanks to the creativity of Ashlee Stewart Dew! With a grin on my face and a feeling of love washing over me, I hesitated to pull into the garage and ruin the artwork. On a much deeper level, a culture of hospitality seeps through each and every moment of FaithWalk Jackson, where guests experience continuous Surprises and Delights throughout the weekend which lead to surprising encounters with Christ’s love.

I encourage us all to seek out opportunities to Surprise, Surprise, Surprise others in our life whether it’s a random of act of kindness such as paying for the next car’s order in a drive thru or paying forward a meaningful experience to a mentee. Think about that flush of delight that overtakes you when a particular mundane transaction transforms into a meaningful moment. For those of us who claim to be followers of Christ, this mandate to love our neighbor should offer us endless opportunities to serve others well and demonstrate a life of hospitality. How might God be nudging you to Surprise, Surprise, Surprise someone as you set out to Be a Good Neighbor? Is there a student in your class who could desperately use a kind word about their effort to contribute? Could there be a fan in the stands of your athletic event who would feel honored by a simple, “Thank you for coming to my game tonight?” Please feel free to offer your comments in the area below where you have been blessed and delighted by a surprise. What ideas do you have for simple, yet meaningful, methods that could lead to a Gomer Pyle exclamation, “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise?”

References:

Kennedy, K., Marshall, F., & Mendell, B. (Producers). Shyamalan, M.N. (Director). (1999). The Sixth Sense. [Motion Picture]. United States: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

Ruben, A. (Creator). Leonard, S., Griffith, A. & Ruben, A. (Producers). (1964). Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. [TV Show]. United States: CBS Broadcasting.