God, You, & Luke 2: Day 10

Have you ever been part of a surprise party? More specifically, have you been part of the group that gathers at some house or restaurant before the "surprise-ee" arrives?

I have been - many times.  However, back in August,  Lou and  were the "surprise-ees" when our Hannah and the rest of the kiddos orchestrated an amazing 25th wedding anniversary celebration. They snapped a pic of the surprising group waiting to greet us.

 Being part of a surprising group is one of the most fun things on the planet!

Everybody there has a smile on their face and is nervously anticipating (in the best way) the moment when you burst out with "Surprise!" A "surprise" that really translates into, "We love you a ton and wanted to make your day!"

They made our day!

The angels in Luke 2 are obviously part of the surprising group of the ages, and I think they felt a joyful nervous anticipation on a scale that I can't even remotely imagine.

First, here's what we know happened for sure.

Luke 2: 9-14 says:
"And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

After I read this, I couldn't help but wonder/imagine a few things.

First, how did that angel "get picked" to be the announcing angel? Did he feel honored beyond words? Was there talk and anticipation among the angels over what was about to happen? As the moment to appear before the shepherds drew close, was that first angel watching God's face, waiting for a nod of His head so he'd know the exact moment to break out of eternity into that night sky over Bethlehem?

Was the multitude of angels bouncing off the walls, breathlessly waiting for their cue? Had the word "manger" barely made it to the shepherd's ears when they began that praise that was aching to leave their mouths?

I'm bouncing off the walls typing! God is so good to give us such excitement and drama!

I know the answers to my "angelic" questions will never be answered on this earth. That's ok. For now, I'm kind of pumped realizing that every time I'm involved in a surprise party, I'll be reminded of the surprise party that took place in a field 2000 years ago.