Expect the Unexpected

This came about to fulfill what was said through the prophet: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Your Sovereign comes to you without display, riding on a donkey, on a colt— the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” ~ Matthew 21:4-5

Looking for rare birds can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it's not just a matter of wishful thinking or blind luck. If you want to increase your chances of spotting those elusive feathered friends, you need to start by learning about the common birds in your area. After all, how can you expect to find something rare if you don't even know what the usual suspects are?

But don't worry, this doesn't mean you have to hit the books or memorize a bunch of scientific names. There are plenty of resources out there to help you identify the birds that are most likely to be hanging out in your neck of the woods. And once you have a good idea of what to look for, you can start keeping your eyes and ears open for anything out of the ordinary.

Equipped with knowledge and tools, regular observation and some traveling, you will start building your list. The more ticks on your list, the more your target birds become the rarities and you begin to experience expecting the unexpected. Sometimes, it will be a migrating Kirtland’s Warbler that was the resulted of a lot of persistence and little luck. Sometimes it will be a Limpkin that inexplicably appears five minutes from your house that is about a thousand miles beyond its normal range. Regardless, there is an attitude of looking for the unexpected that makes those moments possible.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, he was definitely working the unexpected angle. He ignored the expected way to enter the city with mighty horses and a shiny, armored entourage, instead causing a stir by satirizing Pilate’s entry with some street theater that apparently only an ancient prophet expected. By this point, we should stop being surprised by the unconventional actions of the divine in the world. Our surprise is sad testimony to the fact that our expectations are merely limitations we try to impose on God’s creative, powerful love.

Prayer: Limitless Spirit beyond our expectations, kindle again hope within us that leads us to expect the unexpected. Amen.