Rather than celebrating the holidays, some people just want to survive them.  Maybe you are one of them.  Years ago, you looked forward to them, now you dread them because they mean a longer to do list.  If that describes you, maybe what you need is a surprise!

Surprises come in all shapes and sizes.  Just last night a co-worker surprised me with a text that he was bringing lunch for us today.  Perhaps you have been surprised lately yourself.

Maybe you were surprised by depression.  Maybe you were surprised by a diagnosis or divorce papers from your spouse.  Maybe one of your kids surprised you with another call from the principle.  That’s not the kind of surprise we’re talking about.  By surprise, we mean something that reminds you how amazing life can be.

When you think surprise, think of something that exceeds your expectations.  The surprise of a one-thousand dollar tip, for example.  

Of course, in this lifetime, we all experience good and bad times.  It doesn’t matter who we are or how good we’ve been.  It doesn’t matter if we have faith or lack it.  However, sooner or later, we all get surprised in a good way!

Over the years, I’ve learned that God loves surprises.  The good kind of course.  Although, surprises of the other type provide excellent opportunities for us to grow and learn.

In fact, when God first shared his plan with Mary, it came as a great surprise.  She was so startled that she was actually afraid.

Before this even, God had surprised Mary’s cousin Elisabeth by allowing her to conceive at a time when she had been collecting social security for several decades!  Not only was Elisabeth surprised, so was her husband.  They had both served God their entire lives yet were unable to have a child.  The people in their town speculated that they must not be right with God.

This brings to light a principle, if you knew what the future held, it wouldn’t be a surprise.  If you knew exactly what was looming on the horizon, it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?

One pastor I knew received a new pick-up from his congregation for Christmas.  That particular year he was going through a tough time and didn’t even want to come out of his bedroom when his wife told him there was someone at the door for him.  When he finally answered the door, his friends surprised him and the truck was parked in the driveway.  Before he received the truck, he experienced a time of lack.

I love what the Message says when Gabriel spoke to Mary and told her of things to come in Luke 1.  “Mary”, he

said, “You have nothing to fear.  God has a surprise for you!”  

Chances are, that’s a good word for you.  You’ve been afraid lately and that’s exactly what you need to hear.  Or perhaps you’re anxious.  The problem with anxiety is that we have a hard time putting our finger on exactly what we’re anxious about.  We don’t know what’s got us in its sights but it can’t be good.

I want you to know that you have nothing to fear if you’re trusting Jesus.  Not only that, but God has a surprise for you!

Remember, surprises come in different shapes…we talked about that.  But they also come in different sizes.  

I’m going to go out on a limb here and make a prediction.  The reason you’re anxious and have low expectations is because you’ve come to believe that Christmas is all about something BIG happening…the perfect dinner or present.  Reconciliation with a distant loved one.  A miraculous diagnosis.  Perfect weather.

The problem is that although you’d like to have these things happen, you just can’t imagine them coming true.  Age, cynicism, reality, call it what you want.  As you’ve gotten older your expectations have diminished.

Years ago a pastor started leading a new group of people.  The church was small in number.  Actually it had gotten down to two older women who had enough money to keep things going.  The new pastor prayed and invited people to their Christmas Eve service.  He encouraged the ladies to do likewise.  When the night of the service came, the ladies came to the pastor and asked him where the people and cars in the driveway came from.  “It’s Christmas!” my friend replied.  “But where did they come from?”, the ladies asked.  “It’s Christmas!”, the pastor replied.

Again, God is a God who loves to surprise people.  

Sometimes the surprise is a sunset…or a sunrise.

Sometimes it’s a donut.

Sometimes it comes in the form of a child’s smile or the warmth of a hug when you’re having a really bad day.

Sometimes it’s a letter of encouraging words and thoughts when we’re ready to throw in the towel.

Sometimes it’s a bonus from out of the blue when we have an extra bill or two.

You may be going through a really tough time right now.  I can hear you saying that I don’t really know how bad it is!  You’re right.

But I know this, it’s Christmas!  

I’ll say it again, it’s Christmas!

And God is the Father of Christmas!  That’s right.  So stop fearing and start expecting.  Be on the lookout for what He’s doing in your life.  I promise, it’s going to be good.  I don’t know what form it will come in or what size it will be but I do know that it’s going to be worth waiting for!

Imagine what kind of Christmas you have the potential to experience if you will simply ditch your fear and believe that God has something great in store for you.

What if you decided right now to tell Him that you’re not afraid and that you’re expecting him to surprise you?

What if a co-worker asked you why your in such a Christmas spirit and you said “Because I’m not afraid and I’m expecting God to do great things!”.

While you’re at it, tell them that you too were once afraid and you were not expecting God to do great things, but now you are!