Christmas came around and we had been in Bolivia and Dr. Pepperless for about 6 months—a long 6 months. My grandparents flew down to visit, which was a great present in-and-of itself. But, I will never forget the gift they brought my siblings and me. Under the odd-looking Christmas tree that we had made from tying Eucalyptus branches together, was a 20-ounce bottle of Dr. Pepper for each of us! It was a better surprise than if we would’ve received a bar of gold (because with a bar of gold, you still couldn’t buy DP in Bolivia). Our eyes lit up! We could barely believe it was true. I remember unscrewing the cap, and listening to that familiar fizzy sound when a soda is opened, and then just closing my eyes and smelling the goodness. Who new Heaven could fit in a 20-ounce bottle? That first sip was a holy moment. Unforgettable. Definitely the best $1 my grandparents have ever spent on me.

I think God smiled when He watched us enjoy that Dr. Pepper. He seems to like those kinds of surprises. All throughout the Christmas narrative (the Biblical one, not the Bolivian one), we see God surprising His kids with life-changing gifts. Gifts that caused their eyes to light up and gifts that would be talked about forever.

Picture this: Zechariah’s wife was barren (something that caused shame in those days) and past the child bearing age. Yet she and her husband yearned for a child. The prayed for a miracle. Zechariah comes home from work one day and says (or rather, carves in stone), “Hi Honey, I’m home. Long day at the temple. Oh, before I forget, I won’t be able to speak till you give birth to the forerunner of the Messiah. What’s for dinner?”
Surprise.

Or how about this one: “Hi Mary! Oh, please don’t freak out, I’m just an angel of the Lord. Hmm, I guess I can see how that may seem kind-of crazy. But seriously, if that is hard to believe then you’d better sit down for this next part.”
Um, surprise.

Let’s not forget the shepherds in the middle of the night:
“Sure is quiet tonight.”
“Yep.”
“Cold too.”
“Yep.”
“And extra dark.”
“Yep.”
“Did you watch ‘Dancing With the Shulamites’ last night?”
“Yep”
“I thought the judging was tough and the dance-”
“GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST! PEACE, GOOD WILL TO MEN!!!!”
Surprise.

In the language spoken by most people at the time of Jesus’ birth, there was a word that meant “surprise gift”. Interestingly, the word also communicated the ideas of “grace” and “joy.” God’s story of His Son showing up here on earth is filled with surprise gifts, showing us grace and producing joy. The story is filled with those things because God is all about those things. When we experience great surprises this Christmas, it can serve as a reminder of who God is and what He is like. We can reflect who God is and reveal Him more clearly to the world by surprising others with gifts that speak grace and spread joy. How can we live out this life-changing theme of the Christmas story this week?

Response ideas:

1. Tell your kids you have a surprise for them, and let them open a small Christmas gift early. Observe their reaction and excitement. Assuming they are excited, ask God to help you to have a similar response when you receive gifts from Him.

2. Bake and decorate sugar cookies with your children and then deliver them (the cookies, not the kids) to someone who would not expect them (the mailman, the gardeners, the neighbor you don’t know very well, the neighbor who doesn’t like you)

3. Practice “relational giving.” Give creative, thoughtful gifts that provide opportunity to deepen your relationship with others, and/or communicate how well you know them and how much you love them. For example, give a gift that enables you to spend time with the other person, making a memory with them, such as tickets to a concert, or a fun project to do together.

4. Invite yourself over to a friend’s house and bring dinner.

5. If you receive an incredible gift that is a surprise, thank God and whoever gave it to you for the reminder that God is one who graciously gives surprise gifts to us.