Unexpected Love

This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in clothes

                                                                                            and lying in a manger.

                                                                                                            Luke 2:12

    I've been practicing this song to sing for the Christmas Eve service. After practicing it 4 times a day for 3 weeks straight, a line in the second verse kept coming to me in the middle of everyday moments -

      "Did You wrap yourself inside the unexpected
           so that we might know that Love would go that far..."* 

    Every Christmas we contemplate the baby in the manger, born with the barn animals, because there was no room for Him in any inn. Definitely an unexpected place for the Savior of the world, the King of Kings, the Great High Priest to make his appearance. But was there a purpose in this unexpected arrival. Of course. God's language is prophecy, so it's cool that he speaks to us not only in words, but in places, in people, in the monotonous scenery of life around us. 
   Christ Jesus came into the world, wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a bed of straw. Christ Jesus brought life to the world, wrapped in cloth and lying in a tomb. Did Christ come in such a humble way so we would know where to look for him in the end? 

         "Did You wrap yourself inside the unexpected
              so that we might know that Love would go that far..." 


     I was struck by the song lyric because it reminded me of the obvious in a newfound way. Love really does go that far. Love comes to the manger to point to the cross. I'm so thankful for God's love for me, that comes to my ordinary life, my monotonous day, and wraps itself around me, sets me Free and forgiven, and treasures me as a gift. 
      I'm going to start looking for God in the unexpected. I'm going to look up Ezra and see what God has to say. I'm going to look around me in the supermarket to see who could use some encouragement. I'm going to travel 1,600 miles to share His love with women I would never get to share with otherwise.
      Why am I always surprised when God does the unexpected...It seems to be His language anyway. 

Thank you, Lord, for Christ. Thank you for being You.

 Merry Christmas!

*excerpt of song from Francesca Battistelli's, "Born in Me",  
I believe originally released for the Music Inspired by the Story album (one of my favorites!)