The Unexpected Christmas
Real Life on Rocky Top welcomes Amy Daniel to the back porch today. Amy is my middle child. She has a precious heart for Christ and truly loves people.
My house is on the market, my husband just started a new job, we are packing up our home of the last few years, and oh by the way………I’m pregnant.
All of the above life changes were unexpected. I don’t know about you, but at Christmas time, especially, I want things to go as I planned. I want to give the perfect gift, have my home decorated as if Joanna Gaines was my BFF, have my kids behave like angels for all to see, get the Christmas bonus, and make the perfect holiday meal and so on.
But let’s be real…….it hardly ever goes as planned, especially if children are involved.
As I thought through the complete upheaval in my life, the Lord began to speak to me. Although I want Christmas to go according to my plans, the heart of Christmas is the unexpected.
There was an unexpected pregnancy, an unexpected birth in an unexpected place with shepherds and angels unexpectedly worshipping the newborn King. All of the Christmas story is shockingly unexpected for the people involved.
But not for THE God involved.
Christmas has become about my plans. Yet, the best part of Christmas is that HE HAS A PLAN and it is so much better than mine.
So if you find yourself sitting in an unexpected place this Christmas (a place of sickness, grief, loneliness, or unexpected change) take heart my friend because it is in this place where Christmas is alive.
It is in the unexpected that God Himself comes down to us. Emmanuel, God with us, is actively and purposefully pursuing us in the unexpected.
Take your eyes off your plans, your schedule and center your eyes and heart on Him.
We have to be willing to SAY YES as Mary did. “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Luke 1:38
So this Christmas, CHOOSE to lean into the unexpected and say YES to His plans!
