Expect the Unexpected at Christmas

The holiday season is often a busy time for many of us. With all the planned activities on our schedules, any unexpected events can be especially challenging and unwelcome. Take last weekend for example. I was eating dinner on Saturday when a crown came off one of my teeth. I immediately thought of the possible repercussions since the next day I was scheduled to preach, eat “Christmas dinner” with others from our church, and attend my granddaughter’s ballet performance in “The Nutcracker.” Thankfully, it didn’t keep me from participating in any of those activities, although I did have to make some adjustments. However, speaking of the ballet – on our way to enjoy that event, the low-tire-pressure warning light on our car suddenly appeared. As I watched the indicator informing me that one tire was quickly losing air, I felt the temptation for my own spirit to deflate. However, in spite of the flat tire, we were still able to make it to the performance, and I had help afterwards getting it changed. So while these occurrences were certainly unexpected and I would have preferred not to deal with them, I could also think of worse times when they could have happened. Even in the midst of those inconvenient surprises, everything worked out.

    That first Christmas wasn’t without its unexpected and inconvenient moments too. The one that we most often think about was when Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem. As Joseph went into the local inn to secure accommodations for the night, he was greeted with the unwelcome news that there were no vacancies. With his very pregnant companion ready to give birth at any time, that wasn’t the information they were hoping for. Instead, they were relegated to having to bed down in an area used as a stable. The Bible is silent about their reaction to this unexpected predicament. Did Joseph get into a heated argument with the innkeeper? Did Mary deride Joseph for his lack of foresight in securing a room? We can imagine how some of us might have acted based on how we tend to respond to our own unexpected inconveniences. However, I like to think better of Joseph and Mary. I believe their godly character is one reason God chose them to be the earthly parents of this unique child. Maybe they felt initial irritation and concern at this development, but I like to think that their faith quickly kicked in and they put their situation in God’s hands. They trusted Him in spite of the less-than-ideal circumstances.

Can we do that when unexpected events throw a wrench into our busy holiday schedules? Can we whisper a prayer of faith in God and trust that He’s going to work everything out? Can we let Him calm those initial reactions of fear, anger, and frustration, and bless us with peace in the midst of the storm?

God has used Joseph’s and Mary’s unexpected situation to illustrate the humble beginnings of Jesus. And what a great picture it has become of the truth about people needing to make room in their lives for the Savior. God brought good out of a seemingly negative event. Let’s trust Him to do that in our case too. We’re going to face some unexpected moments. We’re going to be inconvenienced by some bumps in our road this holiday season. But let’s face them with a firm assurance that God is in control. Nothing is unexpected to Him. Let’s trust Him to use those occasions for some good purpose in our lives or in fulfilling His plans. He did it with a “no vacancy” sign. And He can do it with a flat tire or whatever else may come our way.