Day 6: Jaw Dropper

Southern California has had some serious wind lately and since I have family and friends who live there I jumped on the Los Angeles Times website to see if I could get come information.  Of course, many photos have been posted and as I flipped through them this morning, I literally felt my jaw drop open as I looked at the incredible damage done by these storms.  It jarred me and I found myself wanting more and more information, searching for more photos to reveal to me what is going on in home State.
This got me to thinking about the things in our lives that cause awe or shock.  What constitutes those unexpected moments in life when our eyes pop and our jaw drops and we are changed even if just for moment?
Advent is a season when we should cultivate within our hearts an openness to be wowed!  Part of the waiting narrative is to eagerly anticipate the ways in which God will reveal himself to us once again.  The story of Christ's incarnation is an awe-some, awe-filled event that in some ways should still take our breath away.  A threatening presence however is familiarity.  We know the story, we've memorized the script, and perhaps we even wonder if there is anything that could cause our jaw to drop in the midst of this busy season.  And yet, God is active and alive today in ways that are fresh and new and surprising.  Are we open for a surprise this season or are we just marking the days, savoring tradition, or worse yet, longing for the "whole Christmas business" to just be over and done with?  Are you simply going through the motions of Christmas but not really expecting anything different in the midst of all that familiar?  I encourage you to allow God to create a jaw-dropping moment for you in these days leading up to Christmas.  Wonder and awe surround us as we ready ourselves for the incarnation of Jesus Christ and anticipate the word made flesh once more.  Do not allow your familiarity with this journey to remove your sense of awe and surprise.  God allows us to know him and know him well, but God can also continue to reveal new things to us, just as he has for past 2000 years.