The Unexpected

We would have thought God would choose a more spectacular way to save the world. Perhaps His Son would be sent in glistening armor, followed by a massive army of angels to plow through the evil in the world in an unquestionable display of power and simply set up a new government.  Instead He sent a baby boy who would take another thirty years to begin doing something extraordinary.  Even then, the things Jesus used...water, bread, fish, words, wine, fishermen were not anything beyond the norm.  What He did, however, with the ingredients of the everyday was superb. 

We can notice a few things:  His perspective was different. His motivation was different, and His goal uncompromised.  It is stunning what happens when belief and willingness are added ingredients to the stuff we find all around ourselves as we mix together the activities of our lives into the recipe of a day. 

Jesus has never forced anyone to hear, see, or follow.  In fact He seems remarkably satisfied with those who are frayed but honest, gritty but humble, average but available to see what He is up to in each moment.  It has always been simply an invitation, never a demand.  Rare is the person with so much power who chooses not to exert it over someone they could easily control.

The opportunity is to pause and notice, to taste and see, and it happens when we step into the water of faith and walk through the waves believing that a God who loves lavishly will somehow, eventually work all the things of our real lives together for the good.  We can easily opt for hanging our own glittering baubles and tinsel and lights over our lives to make them look good and feel satisfying.  Or we can wait and trust and watch our burlap rough circumstances be the very things that miracles are birthed from.  The older I get and the more I understand that His way and economy are never the way that mankind would run things, the more excited I get about what He will do with a life that will offer itself to the Wild and Grand Invitation. 

Warning:  You may be called into some difficult days.  Those are the places He has the fewest willing participants.  Those are the places He wants to make the most amazing miracles happen because someone was willing to love there.  It isn’t always going to be fast food service or instant results like an ATM.  But the more we draw on Him, the more we savor His company, the more we see His faithfulness, the sweeter the taste of following Him becomes.  And, after all, He IS the gift.  We are invited to unwrap each day with expectation to find His presence.

I wish you a merry Christmas and the most delicious new year.

Photograph from morguefile.com by  Jogonesoft