The Unexpected Month

They tell you when preparing for the World Race not to have expectations. They tell you not to expect countries to be certain ways or ministry to look a certain way etc. But what they never tell you is what to do and how to react when the unexpected happens. So this past month has been a most unexpected month. God provided me with Christmas gifts all month long. It was definitely not what I expected upon arriving here in Malaysia. Let me explain.
The first wasn’t really a non-expectation but a desire of my heart that I didn’t think would happen. I had this desire from the beginning of the Race to be at an orphanage for Christmas. When we received our set up sheet for the month it didn’t appear like this would happen. It sounded like we would be working daily with an organization that reached the community through a multitude of different ways. So when we were picked up from our hostel at the beginning of the month and our driver said we would be staying at one of the orphanages, I was overflowing with joy. God was giving me the desires of my heart. I began to brainstorm of ways in which we as a team could make Christmas special for the children at the orphanage. This was just the beginning of a month filled with unexpected blessings from God.
With the Christmas season comes organizations wanting to do a charity event so they can check off their to-do list. Or at least this is what ot felt like. Many of the events we went to with the children were little more than a photo shoot. This part broke my heart. The children could tell when they were being used and when the event was created truly for their enjoyment. However, many of these events also turned into spectacular gifts and blessings, like getting to see the world tour of Mamma Mia!, or a Cirque du Soleil style performance.
Another big thing I didn’t expect coming into Malaysia was to hear the phrase “Merry Christmas.” Malaysia is a restricted country which means that sharing the Gospel message of Jesus is not an easy task. We have to be very careful about who and how we share about Christ. But as I have walked the streets this month past Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists, I have heard Merry Christmas more than I ever have in America. They are not offended by this phrase. They recognize the season as Christmas and even though they do not celebrate it as Jesus’ birthday and they commercialize the holiday, they don’t get offended by the phrase.
So these are just a few of the unexpected blessings I have received this month. Many times I didn’t know how to react when I was blessed with these things and I stood there in shock. Then I stopped and thanked God for another Christmas present and continued to love and serve Him with all that I am.