December 17 – “Party Surprise”

Tonight was our home group white elephant party.  And the evening was fraught with surprises.  For starters, there came a knock at the door around 4:30.  I was working on the next Visual Verse, so I didn't even look up..  I just called out, "Come in!" like I usually do.  And in came Kenny and Lauren, some friends from Austin who used to be in our home group here.  I talked with Kenny earlier in the week on Facebook, but he gave no indication whatever that they might be here.  It was indeed a great surprise.    And when some white elephants enter the door, heads turn.  That happened tonight as well.  The last ones to arrive were Traci and Rick, and Rick entered wheeling in his white elephant on a dolly.  It was one of the biggest I have ever seen.  Very nicely wrapped, I might add.  It looked like it took a whole roll of paper.  Had two huge red bows on it.  Everything about it cried out, "Open me!"  But everyone was afraid to.  Except when it was Christina's turn, and she allowed Jachin to help her choose.  What six-year-old can resist choosing a present that is taller than he is?  And it weighed a ton as well.  But choose it he did.  And he then helped open not one, but five long, flat boxes of outdoor icicle lights.  Not like the kind you buy at WalMart in the little boxes about the size of a book.  How shall I say it?  The boxes would have obscured the view of the TV had it been on.    Now as circumstances worked out, there was yet another surprise.  Somehow through trades and finagling, Christina ended up in the number one spot.  That meant at the end of the game she got to trade her gift with anyone else.  She picked Lauren.  So Kenny and Lauren now have to find a way to hang or store a ton of icicle lights in the truck they live in.  But they are incredibly resourceful.  If anybody can figure out a way, they can.   Psalms 17:8 says, "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."   Father, that sounds like an awfully good position to be in.  Please.  Amen.