Gò0dNews for Everyone
Extinguished Expectations by Monica Gambrell
I
suspect we all know someone who has to have everything
up waking the entire household with excited shrieks of:
“just so.” Unfortunately, I am that person. My chaotic
“It’s Christmas! Come open gifts!” We would have every
mind craves my outward world to have such organization
light in the house turned off and open gifts solely by the
as to create order and resulting peace. Thankfully, God gave me a mother who desperately tried to instill a sense
light of the tree. On one particular Christmas, Mr. Nobody (a mystery
of impulsivity in me (who did not appreciate it at all). My
child of mine) opened the front door so our outdoor cat,
husband also did his best to break me out of my ordered
Lucy, could enjoy the festivities as well. She was mostly
world. I did make strides, but God knows it was completely
black with small white markings on her face. I did not
challenging for me.
know she was there until later. The children had scarcely begun opening gifts when Lucy came racing out of the dark, and as quick as a flash ran up the center of our artificial tree. Her weight at the top of the tree sent the tree crashing down so fast that we were momentarily dumbfounded. Suddenly, it was lights-out, and we found ourselves in stark darkness. I must admit there was a time when my expectations for our lovely tradition being extinguished may have placed a damper on our experience but in a split second, we were all laughing so hilariously at the situation that there was no time to consider anything else. We simply turned the light on, retrieved the terrified cat, and enjoyed each other to the fullest. Genesis 48:11—And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let
Having had a very tumultuous childhood, I have a deep desire to give my children the comfort of some firstgeneration traditions. On Christmas Eve, we allowed the children to open one small gift after having read
me see your children as well!” Job 30:26—When I expected good, evil came; When I waited for light, darkness came. Isaiah 5:4—What more was there to do for My vineyard that
the Christmas story from the Bible. To create a sense of
I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good
ambiance, I left the Christmas tree lights burning all night
grapes did it produce worthless ones?
long through the month of December. Since our children
There are ample opportunities for even the most
desired the humble stocking stuffers more than the other
hopeless among us to set aside what we expect and deal
gifts, I slept on the sofa on Christmas Eve to ensure that the
with what comes in place of it. In this world, things will
stockings did not get emptied until morning. Because the
rarely be as we expect them to be. Let us keep our eyes on
children did not immediately go to sleep, I usually ended
Jesus—the author and finisher of our faith. When our heart is centered on Jesus, we can let go of the minutia of life and
34 // December 2021
know the depth of what is truly significant.
