Our Family Circus

Sorting through donated clothing from the summer, I came upon a tshirt that said "UNEXPECTED." I began to reflect on the word. Christ was The UNEXPECTED Messiah. Jonah was rescued UNEXPECTANTLY by a large fish. The big boat that Noah was building was UNEXPECTANTLY needed. When King Darius went to the Lions' Den the sound of Daniel's voice was UNEXPECTED. Lazarus was UNEXPECTANTLY raised from the dead. The Lord UNEXPECTANTLY pulled me from my pit that I did not even know I was in. The Lord has brought us through much UNEXPECTED in our lives....some good and some bad. Again, we find ourselves in a place of the UNEXPECTED. I jotted these words down as I lay in bed feeling less than great:       I have grey hair.      He was just diagnosed with a kidney disease.      I have bi-focals.      He has high blood pressure.      I no longer dress for style but for comfort and the inexpensive.      He no longer plays league basketball due to injuries.

 I was a little girl in Girls in Action, a mission organization in the Southern Baptist Convention.  Each Sunday night that we gathered, we would read over the prayer calendar.   The prayer calendar included the names and countries of missionaries serving and we prayed for them on their birthdays.   The calendar would also share how they were serving on the field.....you know, summed up in one or 2 words. Just throwing this out there, but they are no longer able to post where most missionaries are serving nor are they able to share their names because of the safety of where they serve....times have changed! Oh, how they have changed!   I recall as a little girl thinking about the title "home evangelism" after a lady's name.   Years later, working at a missions camp, I asked the missionary there.   She told me it is basically meant that the lady was at home caring for the family, on the field.   I was a bit surprised.   That sounded, well, kinda lame to me.   Go to the