Surprise!

Today I got two surprises which threw me for a loop: 1) It snowed this morning, and 2) A new president of BYU was called. Yesterday it was 60 degrees and sunny in Provo, but when I left for my 8 AM class this morning it felt like winter again. The snow even collected on the ground--although it melted within an hour--but that is Utah weather! It's utterly unpredictable.

Later in the day I went to the BYU devotional. Brother Larry M. Gibson spoke. My family and I met him during the summer while we were at Philmont. We spoke with him and his wife for probably a half an hour. They were very nice people, and I was excited to hear his message. He spoke about two important companions that we need in this life: a spouse and the Holy Spirit. At the end of his remarks, President Henry B. Eyring spoke and announced the release of President Cecil O. Samuelson. In his place Kevin J. Worthen was called as the new president of BYU (effective May 1). Although the Samuelsons have served for nearly 11 years, this too came as a surprise. They received a standing ovation for their service (see the picture below). President Eyring bore witness that the Lord, Jesus Christ, directs His kingdom on earth. I wondered how anyone could question President Worthen's calling after such a powerful testimony.

Life is full of surprises. Some are welcome and some are not, but either way they are, by definition, altogether unexpected. To me it seems that the trick is to try and enjoy what comes our way and trust that "all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28).