when least expected

Luke 2: 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.   I'm convinced that God shows up when least expected.  I'm not sure how much advance planning Joseph was capable of as he entered Bethlehem for the census, but I don't think Mary could have been faulted if she'd been upset that the best her husband could do was a stable to give birth to the promised "Son of the Most High".  There they were in the city of David and Mary was about to deliver the one to inherit the throne of David.  But there was no room for them in the inn.  I suspect they would have made room for a king, but the innkeeper didn't realize that the King of Kings was about to enter the scene.   I doubt whether many babies have been delivered in stables or barns as the birthing location of choice and I doubt whether many feeding troughs have been given as cradles at baby showers.   As the Lord looked down the corridor of time, however, these are precisely the conditions that were planned for the one who was both Son of God and Son of Man to make His earthly entrance.  I believe that the Lord will show up in our lives when we least expect it, as well.  At a time when nothing seems to be going your way, when circumstances and events aren't coming together the way you'd imagined, the Lord will appear.  And when we feel defeated, denied and discouraged He'll delight in changing everything you could imagine, just by showing up in your life...as He promised He would.    Merry and joy-filled Christmas to others who find themselves in the stable, Rob Smith