Expectations, Great and Small

by Little Miss Attila on December 20, 2009

Retriever on dashed hopes, transformation . . . and redemption:

Some of us keep hoping for something more real. In the One who is above politics. Without sin. The call of God thrilling us, reviving us, strengthening us. His grace covering and washing our sins, encouraging us to stumble on. Doggedly faithful and stubbornly optimistic. Heaven haunted and oddly tender towards the hurting world around us…

A virgin had a visit from an angel. Was told to expect greath things. She was scared, then reassured, then a wild hope awakened…

Then what happened? A series of most unfortunate events. A long and arduous journey, no room at the inn. Giving birth far from her family in someone else’s stable, with strangers barging in to take a look.

3 wise men were led to follow a star. Across a continent, thru toils and dangers. To end up in a filthy stable? Then warning the people to flee a murderous plot by an insanely vicious king.

Freezing cold shepherds saw lights in the sky and heard choirs of angels and wondered if they were hallucinating but went to take a look anyway. To see a baby and his parents in with the animals.

God’s chosen people were promised a Messiah, a king who would free them. And what did they get? An ordinary baby who grew up to be yet another preacher and teacher to a nation of disappointed, oppressed, desperate people. Yet another brutally executed political criminals. With yet more fantastical nonsense spouted about his miraculaous appearances after death by his frantic followers.

Well, come on. Admit it. Do you always handle disappointment, and diminished expectations well?

Um. “Not just no . . . ”

Read the whole thing, but watch out for the barnacles.

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

retriever December 20, 2009 at 2:46 pm

Thanks for the link, Joy.

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