Recently, my wife took our daughter to the beautiful Biltmore Estate in North Carolina to celebrate her 17th birthday.

They left early Thursday morning and had a great time exploring the thousands of acres of stunning gardens and walking through the meticulously crafted architecture of the Biltmore, which was built by George Washington Vanderbilt over 100 years ago.

Fun fact: at 175,000 square feet, it's the largest privately owned home in the U.S., with 250 rooms, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and even a bowling alley! One of the many reasons they went was because they're huge fans of 'Downton Abbey', and the Biltmore actually served as a filming location for some scenes in the series, which only added to their experience.

While they were off living their 'Downton Abbey' dream, I had my own little adventure back home.

Early that same morning, I took our dog, Callie, for our usual 6 a.m. walk around the neighborhood. When I got back, I was surprised to find my 6-year-old daughter, who normally sleeps in, wide-eyed, bushy tailed and waiting for me at the front door.

When I saw her up so early, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take her on a breakfast date to a local café-something I'd been meaning to do for a while.

They gave her some crayons and a coloring sheet, but our main focus ended up being a crossword puzzle. We spent the entire time hunting for hidden words together, and on the drive back, she was determined to finish it.

At some point, she accidentally dropped a crayon between the front seat and the middle console.

When we got home, I tried to fish it out, but no luck at first. I had to move the seat all the way back-still nothing.

Then, as I moved it all the way forward, my daughter suddenly exclaimed, "Daddy, what's that black phone case doing there? Is that your phone?"

I looked down, and lo and behold, she had found my old iPhone that had gone missing nearly six weeks ago!

I was stunned. I'd lost it on July 24th and had given up hope of ever finding it.

To say I was overjoyed would be an understatement-what I thought was a lost cause turned into a mystery solved, all thanks to a dropped crayon!

This whole experience reminded me of how God often surprises us with blessings when we least expect them.

I had given up on ever finding that phone, but in a simple moment, it was returned to me in a way I couldn't have planned or predicted.

It was a reminder that sometimes, no matter how much we try to control things, there are moments where the outcome is completely out of our hands.

All we can do is trust in the One who sees and knows all things. These unexpected blessings are reminders of how gracious God truly is.

Sometimes, He blesses us with an unexpected health recovery, and other times He allows us to endure challenges that serve a greater purpose, often leading to outcomes beyond anything we could imagine.

It's a reassuring reminder that, even when life feels out of our control, we are in the care of a God who delights in blessing us-even in the smallest, most unexpected ways.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend,
- Dr. Derek "Surprised and Grateful" Taylor, DC