Maybe you heard the story about the lady who was preparing her Christmas cookies.
There was a knock at the door. She found a man, his clothes poor, obviously looking for some Christmas odd jobs.
He asked her if there was anything he could do.
She said, ‘Can you paint??
‘Yes,? he said. ‘I’m a rather good painter.?
‘Well,? she said, ‘there are two gallons of green paint there and a brush, and there’s a porch out back that needs to be painted. Please do a good job. I’ll pay you what the job is worth.?
He said, ‘Fine. I’ll be done quickly.?
She went back to her cookie making and didn’t think much more about it until there was a knock at the door.
The man, with paint on his clothes, was smiling ear to ear.
She said, ‘Did you finish the job??
He said, ‘Yes.?
She said, ‘Did you do a good job??
He said, ‘Yes. But lady, there’s one thing I’d like to point out to you. That’s not a Porsche back there. That’s a Mercedes.?
Christmas is full of surprises!
Mary was surprised by the angel’s announcement of her virgin birth.
Joseph was surprised by his fianc’es? announcement!
The shepherds were surprised by the angel at night.
The Wise Men were surprised by the star.
In the midst of their routine, ordinary lives, God showed up and did the extra-ordinary.
My prayer for you and me this Christmas is that we would be surprised by God.
Somewhere, somehow, in the midst of our gift-giving, football watching, and food-consuming, may it dawn on us that there is a good God in heaven, who loves us so much that he touched down on our planet in human form.
Surprise!
Greg Henneman is pastor of Clarkston Community Church.