Unexpected

Read Mark 10:35-45 - James and John ask Jesus to sit on thrones next to him.

Nenye Andy-Eke lives in Lagos, Nigeria. For a year Nenye and her sister, Chinwe, had excitedly planned her son's destination wedding. Three days before the wedding, Nenye flew from Lagos to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with decorations for the colorful Nigerian ceremony. But then they had a shock. Chinwe was hospitalized, getting tested for kidney stones. If the tests were positive, she would need urgent surgery. Thanks be to God, the tests were negative.

We can never anticipate what might happen to our plans. Nenye wonders if Mary expected her long, dusty journey to Bethlehem or the rejection of the innkeeper. Did she know her beloved baby - the eternal King - would have to lie in a manger? Similarly, the apostles in Mark 10 expected Jesus to have an earthly throne and wanted to sit beside him. They didn't anticipate their modest lives or the suffering they would experience.

Disappointments dot our lives - failed business ventures, broken relationships, lost loved ones, rejected job applications, unanswered prayers. When things do not go as we expect, we can learn to trust the eternal King who was born in a stable. God is always with us.

Prayer: Loving Father, increase our faith and trust that you will see us through every disappointment, in Jesus' name. Amen.