Tip of My Iceberg

While we were sweltering in 90-degree weather here in Florida, with rising humidity and folks with the early summer grumpies, our Colorado family had a late-season snow. It had been 70 degrees the day before, and then, lo and behold, temperatures dropped, and it snowed–eight inches.

Part of me was a little jealous. Walking out my front door, I’m challenged to not want to run back inside and shower again. Sweat forms with the speed of light here.

Beck was delighted. At seven, there’s no better reason to enjoy a change of pace than building a snowman. I’m befuddled, however, about how they don’t get sick. He was wearing shorts the day before, and now he was back in a snowsuit.

Maybe I’m just too old to consider such drastic changes in such a short amount of time.

We are, however, primed for surprises constantly in life. Whether it’s the weather, government changes, world issues, or challenges at home, rarely does a day go by without some sort of unexpected event.

The uptick in gas prices has been an unexpected downer for normalizing budgets. Everyone has something negative to say about anyone in public service.

But there’s a comical side to the unexpected. On May 11, a Miami-area dog park, in the hopes of gaining a Guinness World Record, hosted a dog pool party, attended by 277 canines. It turned out to be the world’s largest dog pool party.

Who knew dog parties were a thing?

In another Florida story, a woman in Southwest Florida heard a noise on her lanai. She was alone in her home with her baby and feared intruders might try to force their way in. When she peeked out the door, she saw two alligators wrestling on her porch.

Not the stuff of world records.

Life has always been full of the unexpected. Jesus was constantly confounding His followers and His enemies. He didn’t do things by the book.

He partied with people of questionable character. He befriended the down and outers. He could teach theology to the smartest of the religious leaders. He was kind, full of grace, and compassionate.

On the eve of His arrest, He invited His disciples to a dinner, His last supper with them. Tradition was that when people were invited into a home, the host would provide servants to wash the feet of the guests. Feet were constantly dirty because of the terrain in which people walked and the sandals they wore. “Jesus knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything and that He had come from God and would return to God. So He got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin. Then He began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel He had around Him.” John 13:3-5.

An unexpected act of service from the One who was King of Kings. He redefined leadership by becoming a Servant in more ways than one.

Jesus surprised many when He and His men attended a wedding in Cana. It was bad form to run out of food or drink, and it would have humiliated the bride, groom, and their families if there wasn’t enough to offer the guests. At the encouragement of His mother, Jesus turned the water in six large ceremonial stone water jars into wine, providing the best wine that could be offered. He valued the celebration and the people in it.

The unexpected will always be staring us in the face, positive and negative. Jesus knew to anticipate the unexpected because He came to bring the unexpected–forgiveness, grace, and compassion. Unexpected in a world of doubt, subjugation, and fear.

What better way to deal with the unexpected than with hope?