unexpected surprises
I suppose all surprises are inherently unexpected, so combining the terms is rather redundant when you think about it. Nonetheless, unexpected surprise is a common enough saying, and nothing else quite captures the essence of the most shocking of surprises, so bear with me as I perpetuate the redundancy with this post!
Recently, my “little” brother and his wife had a precious baby at the age of forty. To hear that these two were destined to be parents was initially a complete shock. I was filled with happiness for them because the experience of parenthood is unlike any other gift. Raising children marries radiant joy with frenetic schedules, full hearts with heartache, indescribable bonds of love with encompassing worry. All that to say, hearing that Patrick and Anastasia would be parents was a great surprise, but witnessing them as parents was another thing entirely.
The peace in Anastasia’s face as she held and nursed Tulia, Patrick’s fatherly pride as he introduced his daughter to me, the twinkle in his eyes as spoke to her with outlandish voices, eliciting guttural laughter from her four month old vocal cords, and the knowing glances he exchanged with Anastasia at the wonder of the beautiful, tiny human in his arms—not a single detail escaped my attention. To become a parent is a life-altering event, and to see my brother and his wife so enraptured with their baby girl should not have surprised me, and yet it did—unexpectedly—because the beauty was palpable, and it is not every day that we have the chance to witness love of this magnitude.
I can only imagine what must have been going through Mary’s mind when the angel Gabriel, in all his celestial radiance, gently spoke the words, “Do not be afraid, Mary…for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30-33 NLT). There were conspicuous reasons for Mary to be surprised at this pronouncement, not the least of which was the fact that she was a virgin, and an extramarital pregnancy would create shock waves capable of traversing her small town like a tsunami, but we are told she faithfully accepted the angel’s words, saying in v. 38, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” She must have been utterly astonished by this visit from a heavenly being, a privilege that few humans experience, as well as the news that her barren, aging cousin Elizabeth was miraculously pregnant.
To hear Gabriel’s words must have been profound, but to experience the foretold pregnancy and subsequent birth must have been another thing entirely. In her joy, Mary visited Elizabeth, who famously exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” after her own baby leapt in her belly (Luke 1:42). The women shared the joys and trials of the next three months together, relishing their miraculous pregnancies, unbeknownst to them just how dramatically the course of human history was to be altered with their babies’ entrances into the world.
When I was a girl, I would lie propped on my elbows in front of the Christmas tree, the scent of fresh pine infusing the air, the white lights adorning the branches, glimmering in the dark, as I pondered the improbability of God descending to this earth from the heavenly realms, born as a helpless baby to a humble couple in an unassuming stable, surrounded by the braying of a donkey, lowing of cows and bleating of sheep, not to mention all the smells that accompanied them! I was awe-stricken and simultaneously doubtful, caught between a world of ancient stories and one of modern disregard. Yet even in those confused years of misunderstandings and mystique, the wonder that maybe, just maybe, this improbable story was true never left my heart.
Each Christmas season, the lyrics of the song, “Mary, Did You Know?” brought tears to my eyes.
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod? And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God? I was reminded of these lines when I saw the unstoppable love in the eyes of Patrick and Anastasia as they kissed their mortal baby girl. When I think of that undeniably beautiful moment, I realize how glorious it would have been for Mary to gaze into the face of her baby and know that he was the Son of God. Words cannot capture the gravity, nor the beauty, contained in that experience—an unexpected surprise in the most profound of ways.
As we progress through this Advent season, one full of longing, hope and expectation, I pray you experience your own unexpected surprises, and that when you do, maybe you’ll be reminded of Mary and the truly perfect gift she held in her arms. As you ponder that momentous day, may you be reminded of the weighty truth that Jesus arrived the first time helpless and humble and will return one day powerful and glorified, and that it is in him alone you can find the rest and restoration your soul so desperately craves.
I leave you with the lyrics of one of my favorite Christmas songs and a link to Lauren Daigle’s rendition. Pay close attention to the final stanza—it’s so good. Jesus’ birth was the catalyst for a new way of living in peace and justice. His return will bring perfection and fullness to the movement he began millennia ago!
O Holy Night
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Til He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Before Him lowly bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.