Changing expectations

I have a friend who lives off a gravel road outside of town. She's a little concerned that her son needs some greater exposure.

Earlier this summer he and his family went to a Kansas City Royals baseball game with another family who has done a lot of international traveling. The two boys were talking and the one says to my friend's son "have you ever been out of the country?" To which he replied, "Of course, we're in the city now!"

You can see why she's concerned.

Those who live in the cities never expect much to happen in the country. Those who live in the county often wonder with so much happening why would anyone want to live in a city. Expectations have framed their conclusions.

Two thousand years ago expectation changed. The gospel of Luke says, "And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night."

These guys were doing what was expected of them where it was expected of them. These shepherds went out to the same regions, the same fields, staring at the same stars that their fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers and on down their family line had. The government changed over the years. Politics took on a slightly different form one generation to the next; but the grass still grew, stars filled the skies and the sheep needed to be watched. They were out in the field just like they expected to be.

But God broke their expectations. In the region outside of the tiny village of Bethlehem Jesus was born and the angels filled the skies. They expected to see the stars but didn't expect to have the heavens overshadowed by angelic hosts.

God has a way of breaking through our expectations. The king was born in the stable, not an expected palace. He was announced to the lowliest of peoples not the expected kings and governors.

Often we don't think God can -- or cares too -- because we expect that everything that is the way it is now is just how it's going to be. Nothing has and nothing will change.

My prayer this Christmas is that God goes beyond your expectations. Not your gift list, but your expectations. That God-given hope that has been buried under a drift of discouragement will burst forth and, like the angelic, hosts fill the skies.

Rob Hurtgen is a husband, father, minister and writer. Read more from him at www.robhurtgen.wordpress.com.