Wait Expectantly

They had been waiting for the Messiah for thousands of years. The prophets foretold of his coming. He would be a king, born from the royal bloodline of King David. He would dethrone the Roman emperor and free them from captivity. But some were saying this baby born in a barn from a young unwed girl in a low-class city was the Messiah. How was that possible? It was not what they expected.

By the time Jesus began his ministry, many couldn’t believe this man from a working-class family could be their Messiah. Where was the king born of royalty who would save the world? Where was the one who would free them from Roman control? They waited expectantly for years, yet they couldn’t see what was right in front of them.

There were others who believed Jesus was the Son of God and accepted him as their Messiah, even though He didn’t come as they expected. Some questioned. Some rejected. Some received. All based on an expectation.

Is there something you’ve been waiting for expectantly? You’ve prayed, yet it appears it will never happen. What if your prayer, your longing, was fulfilled in a way you didn’t expect? Is it possible what you’ve been waiting for is right in front of you, yet you can’t see it?

For almost four years, my sister and brother-in-law had been waiting to adopt a baby from China. They hit roadblock after roadblock, year after year. Each time, they questioned. Did God hear our prayers? Does he even care? What they didn’t know was that halfway around the world, God was at work, orchestrating events behind the scenes…

In a small town in China, an unwanted baby was left outside a special needs orphanage in the middle of winter. Because she wasn’t actually a special needs child, no one filed her paperwork. Without it, she wasn’t adoptable. For four years, the little girl was passed over, seemingly forgotten. Until one day…

A phone call from the adoption agency. New paperwork was just filed. Would you be willing to adopt a four-year-old little girl?

When adoption seemed hopeless, someone was looking out for that baby. She wasn’t forgotten. The couple wasn’t forgotten. There was a plan. Only, it wasn’t what anyone expected.

On Christmas Day 2017, Mia met her forever family. I believe in miracles, and this really was a Christmas miracle.

Whatever you are expecting this Christmas season, wait expectantly! Your miracle may not be as you expected. It may not make sense. But perhaps God is orchestrating something even better behind the scenes just for you.