My mother always decorates the house beautifully for Christmas.  She strives hard to find a proper place for every ornament, hanging, and figurine.  One morning, as she was making her bed, she noticed how the white-yarned beard on her Santa pillow had suddenly been “chopped off” overnight.  Later, while strolling by her coffee table in the living room, she glanced at her snowman figurine on skis and discovered that one of his ski poles was gone!  A few hours later, she passed the table and saw that the other pole was gone!  She then noticed Muffin nearby, chewing on a tiny wooden stick!  With this having been our first Christmas with Muffin, she has definitely brought many “unexpected fortunes.”

While last month served as a period of many positive “unexpected fortunes” for many, it also brings some not-so-nice ones for others.  A few days before Christmas, I received several emails regarding a friend’s mother who was tragically struck by a car and eventually died later in the night.  As I have spent time grieving with her, I also realized that this was an “unexpected fortune” for her mother—no longer suffering with the numerous medical complications as well as being able to sit at the Lord’s feet during this season of celebrating His birth.

Unexpected fortunes.  We see them all the time here on our unit.  Sometimes we experience feelings of anger and frustration as we serve as advocates for the families, and we even question, “Why, God?  Why?”  Even though these questions may never be answered here on earth, may we remember that death is as much a part of life as birth; despite the dark times, the Light will always shine forth.