Tuesday 30 December 2008

There's nothing inspiring about clearing up after Christmas really, is there? Right now the Christmas tree needles are dropping, the remainder of the Christmas cake is drooping, the new toys have run out of batteries, the sales have been picked over, leaving only odd sizes and hideous colours, and its still another whole day until New Year's.

One year I went into the garage to fetch my toolbox in the week after Christmas was over, and discovered where we had thrown all the boxes and packaging to get it out of sight. As I moved the boxes out of the way, something caught my eye … or rather my ear! In the corner of an apparently empty box I could hear a rattle. Opening up the flap, I discovered a neatly wrapped parcel, all done up in Christmas paper. We had obviously thrown it out along with all the rubbish at Christmas time. In a bid to tidy up after ourselves it seems like we had overdone it. It was not so much a case of throwing out the baby with the bath-water as the gift with the gift paper. I carried my unexpected prize back into the house and made somebody's day. A child got a bonus toy of which they had been deprived, and someone else got a very late thank you letter!

Of course you can probably guess that from time to time when I go into the garage now, I shake every apparently empty box - just in case! I suppose it's a bit sad really - but I just can't help myself. I've never found anything, but it doesn't stop me looking. To find some hidden gem in amongst the old boxes would really make my day. A little extra treat would come in very handy - especially on a dull December day when not much is happening.

2008 has almost gone now - 364 days of it ticked off already. None of us can tell what surprises lie in store for next year. And anyway - if we could…they wouldn't be surprises, would they? One of the great things about having faith is that you live in a permanent state of expectation. That's what faith is all about. The Bible calls it being 'sure of things we hope for, and certain of things we cannot see.' With faith you embark on each day with the distinct possibility that God might take you by surprise. This might happen in any number of ways - from meeting a person in need, to receiving a visit from an old friend or hearing a snatch of inspiring music. God can speak to us through all these things, especially when we least expect it. And when he does, it's a bit like my hidden present in the garage - a reminder that somebody somewhere cares about you, even if you hadn't noticed.