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Life is very unexpected when we follow God.
We recently had our Christmas party for my department at work, and at that party we had a grab bag game going. Now for those of you who don’t know what grab bag is let me explain it.
Everyone is given a spending limit to purchase a present to share with the group. Sometimes a group will pick a theme for the gifts, and other times it is left open to each person’s imagination. Everyone participating will buy a gift and wrap it up and bring it to the party. Each present is put into the middle of the group and then all of the participants are numbered.
Once everyone is accounted for, person number one goes first. That person gets to choose a present from the middle of the pile to open. Then person number two is up; they have the option to pick from the middle OR steal from person number one! Now, the game continues where each person has the choice to pick from the middle or steal from someone else. It tends to be a very fun game and can be extremely funny!
Here at our office, we have a great group of really hilarious people, so a lot of the gifts were pretty funny. But, there were also a lot of great items out there that I really wanted! Multiple times throughout the game I had a gift that I was quite excited for. I was hoping each time that this was the present I would end up with. However, as the game went on, each present that I fell in love with was stolen from me! I was stolen from 4 times and ended the game with a present I wasn’t as thrilled about.
Related: My Favorite Verses on Giving
Lesson
Directly after the game, I was feeling very humbled. I felt as though God were trying to teach me something in this very moment.
Through this silly game, I was actually reminded of the sermon we heard this weekend at church. Life can be very unexpected when we follow God. You may be on one path, and very happy with it, and then God decides he has other plans for you! Sometimes God will take away something from us and replace it with something we may not want as much. He may call us to do things we may have never fathomed. He may even call us to something we don’t even think that we have the strength to do…
Mary
Imagine how Mary felt after she was visited by the angel who told her she was
Nine months into the pregnancy, I bet she became more at peace with this new calling. She was probably preparing herself for the coming of Jesus when Caesar Augustus calls for a census to be taken. So Mary uproots herself for the time being, and her and Joseph travel to Bethlehem to register.
On the journey to Bethlehem, I imagine Mary and Joseph having a conversation about Jesus’ birth. I’m sure they had made a plan to go to a specific inn to ensure Mary’s comfort through birth. However, even that plan was disrupted! They ended up staying in a stable because the inn was too crowded!
Mary’s story just amazes me. She dedicated her life to following God, and that clearly took her on an unexpected journey. Even though her world was turned upside down, she continued to be a faithful servant to God.
With the new year around the corner, let us all remember to expect the unexpected as we continue to follow God closely. Be open to new callings from God and continue to be a faithful servant. Life is very unexpected when we follow God.
