The gifts were wrapped and placed carefully under the tree, ready to open when the family gathered together on Christmas Eve.
I picked up the first gift to give out and discovered there was no TO-FROM tag on it. So I took up the next gift—and there was no TO-FROM tag on it, either. As I sorted through the stacks of colorful gifts, there were no TO-FROM tags to be found on any gift!
And then I saw the stash of TO-FROM tags in the corner behind the tree—a sure give-away of the two-year-old culprit.
That Christmas, gift-giving became a free-for-all activity as everybody grabbed the closest gifts, tore off the ribbons and paper, and then waved presents wildly in the air, yelling, “Who’s this for? Who brought the toaster-oven? Are these slippers for me?”
There were lots of merry laughs as the gifts got sorted. It was especially funny when Grandpa opened the flannel nightie, and Aunt Joanie unwrapped the toy tractor.
In fact, it was so much fun that we should have made it a family tradition to leave off the gift tags! That Christmas we experienced the rare pleasure of opening unexpected gifts. I say “rare pleasure” because giving gifts in our family often involves first giving lists of desired items to those buying gifts.
Your family might also give and get shopping lists. Like us, you might even use the shared Amazon Wish List so you can put the exact desired item in the shopping cart.
The Gift-Exchange Prayer List
This type of gift-exchange reminds me how we sometimes view our prayer lists for God.
“Please, God, I need this and that. And please don’t get angry, God, but here’s exactly how you can manage this and that.”
How then do we respond when we we get neither this nor that?
But then we get neither this nor that. Instead, God surprises us with what we didn’t know we really needed—until he gave it to us.
Please know that I’m certainly not suggesting that we don’t have prayer lists. We’re told to present our requests to God “in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving” (Phil. 4:6).
Expecting the Unexpected Gifts
Instead, what I’m suggesting is that we look for God’s surprises, that we find his unexpected gifts, in our unanswered prayers.
Such is the case with my deepest prayer that has gone unanswered for more than twenty years. I could focus on the fact that this item is still on my prayer list. But while this request is pending, God has surprised me in so many ways with unexpected gifts surrounding my prayer—fresh gifts of compassion, empathy, perseverance, patience, and thankfulness.
If you are heartbroken by an unanswered prayer, look for God’s unexpected gifts. You may be taken by surprise at how much God loves you and is at work in your life. Be reminded that God, who gave us his son, is in the business of astonishing gifts.
I love this illustration and sharing of real life experiences to help drive the message home. I have been on the receiving end of unexpected and “unwanted” gifts from Father and it has, like always, turned out better for me in the end. We could all probably learn to just embrace things as they come as opposed to expecting things.
Great point!