Expect the Unexpected

Earlier this week, I attended a basketball game of a girl from our youth ministry who is playing for a local Christian school. It's exciting to see her skills improve as she learns more about the game.

Arriving a few minutes late, I hurried into the gym and noticed the girls still warming up. I climbed the bleachers to join her father and siblings.

As I reached the top row, her father mentioned that an announcement had just been made requesting volunteers to officiate the game due to a miscommunication resulting in no officials showing up. Knowing I was an official with a different association, he joked about me missing my chance.

I almost went down and offered to cover for one of them until I realized I did not have my whistle (I normally have 3 in my bag). I wondered if the site had any, but apparently not, because the two men officiated the first quarter trying to yell out violations and foul calls.

By the second quarter, a lady came in with a brand new whistle she had just purchased. But they still only had one whistle.

It was amusing to watch these "rookie" officials manage the game without whistles, shouting out violations and fouls instead.

Reflecting on the incident, I couldn't help but think of Luke chapter 12 verse 40 which says, “…You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

This verse is found in a larger exchange between Jesus and the crowds. Jesus had had dinner with a Pharisee dropping the whole “woes” section on him and headed outside the house. Jesus then used parables to answer different questions the crowd threw at Him.

At the heart of His response was that His people should not worry about worldly things but rather on God and His kingdom.

Verse 40 comes from the parable Jesus told about the servants being on watch for their master returning from a wedding banquet.

Too often, we try and figure everything out ahead of time. And these days, we pretty much do. We know which team a free agent athlete is going to before the free agent period begins. We know trades before they happen. We read behind-the-scenes stories about characters in television series and what is going to happen in the next season.

As Christians, we often talk about Jesus returning. And some of us have gone too far down the rabbit trail trying to pinpoint His exact return, but all Jesus tells us is to be ready because He will come when we least expect Him.

For the past 3-4 months, I have known every basketball game I was going to officiate. Where it would be played. Who I was working with. What age group was participating. I knew everything but the outcome - and sometimes I had a good idea about that beforehand too.

But this one game I went to just to support a student in our church there was an opportunity, and I wasn’t ready because I didn’t think I would need to be.

How often in our lives do we just coast through not expecting anything great to happen? Not expecting to be needed? Not expecting God to show up?

Let’s change that. Let’s always be ready for Him to show up working in us and through us for His glory!

Anyway, I was just thinking…