Expecting the Unexpected

                                                   

 

If unexpected events in life are a natural part of human experience, then why is it so shocking? 

If, suddenly, a horrible crisis comes our way, we all react differently in reasonably different emotions. 

Some scream.

Many cry. 

Others are in shock and can’t feel or say a thing. 

These are all real, but different. 

It depends on the tragedy or issue, and the degree of severity they bring. 

Nevertheless, it all amounts to the same. 

Unexpected. 

If you or I inherited a large sum of money, won the lottery, or were given a huge salary increase or bonus, we would react too. 

In an entirely different way. 

There would be brain cells exploding in the euphoria of being free from debt and financial responsibility, to a degree. 

Case in point: 

The death of my mom, when I was 15, was expected because of the 9 months of suffering with liver cancer. 

I watched all of it, day by arduous day.

This expected tragedy was coming to an end. 

Her death in 1971.

 

My father, on the other hand, was murdered when I was 18. 

Unexpected, but still horrible. 

 

These two situations brought different reactions from me. 

 

Anger and bitterness regarding my mother. Mostly against a God, I did not even know. 

 

Violence and insanity, on my part over my father. 

 

So, how can we expect the unexpected in a good way? 

How in the world can a human being expect something that is out of reach, or catches us totally by surprise? 

Is it good, or bad in our mind? 

 

We would never expect something negative for sure.  Yet, the negative comes at us, like a wave in the ocean that tries to take us under in its ability to tow us away at times. 

 

In the same way, expecting God to do something for us, in us, and through us, is different because it requires faith from us. 

 

Yes, faith. 

 

I didn’t know about faith at fifteen years old. 

My eighteen-year-old addicted self didn’t know how to handle life. 

I hated life.

 Life hit the fan, and I had to deal with the mess it left upon my heart. 

 

I hated myself as well. 

 

There must be a call to action in all of this, because the title of this story depicts an oxymoron in my eyes. 

It was not Jumbo shrimp.  It wasn’t deafening silence or even bittersweet. 

 

It was an unexpected event I hated.   

 

Why would any of us want to “expect the unexpected?” 

 

It is not behind door number one or two.  It must be behind door number 3.  In the game show in 1968, “Let's Make a Deal” with Monty Hall, some contestants would pick that elusive door number that had behind it: 

“A Brand-New Car!”  

 

Then, unfortunately, the other contestant, who dreamed of replacing his wreck-of-a-car at home, got the live mule with a stuffed-toy monkey on its back. 

Lovely. 

He was offered to have the deal challenged by having Monty Hall offer a possibly better gift. 

Another chance at a different door. 

He upped the ante by doubling down on the next deal with the host.  He lost and had to trade his “already won” room full of new furniture, appliances, and a trip to Acapulco, for a monkey-mule.   

I guess he could ride the real mule to work after discarding the stuffed monkey, if his old car broke down.  It cost him more to keep the donkey than putting gas in his car. 

This loss was surely a monkey-off-his-back. 

Not really.  He got a blender for a conciliation prize. 

 

I call this greed.  Better yet, stupidity. 

Take what you have won and be thankful and go home.  

How so, in an unexpected thing? 

James 4:13-14:

 

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.’  Whereas, you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

James goes on to make a point. 

Do not be arrogant in boasting.  It is evil to boast. 

 

And further in verse 17 he says: 

 

“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

 

Well, it is sin to God too. 

 

Since we can’t control any of the things in life, good or bad; we should learn how to navigate through both with our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. 

He is there in the boat with the storm.  He is there when your diagnosis was deemed a mistake and just a shadow on the ex-ray results. 

He is there.  Always there. 

 

When the unexpected happens, we’re prone to either become exasperated or to make excuses.  

I have run out of excuses to make a deal with God. 

 

Case in point: 

The unexpected happened. 

It is 1997.  My bride- to- be, was in the passenger seat up front, in my 1996 Chevrolet Caprice Classic.  Her mother was sitting behind me as I drove.  Her sister was sitting behind my fiancé. 

We had just left Lincoln City, a beach town in Oregon.  We had not been on the highway for more than 15 minutes when the “unexpected happened.” 

 

We have just bought hot coffee at McDonalds. 

(Remember the coffees).

This girl, in a small car, passed us on a hill.  No-passing zone.  She had to do 75 miles per hour when I noticed her car in the corner of my eye. 

She zoomed past us illegally, with a baby standing in the seat next to her up front.  I remember seeing a flash of the baby with my left eye.  No car seat.  It's a baby standing.  Probably 10 months old maybe? 

 

Once she passed me and went over the hill, I said, “Hope she slows down.” 

Then, as I topped the hill myself, all the traffic ahead of me had abruptly stopped. 

That mother, with the baby, had to almost slam on her brakes to avoid hitting the car ahead of them.  The baby was probably grabbed by her to avoid the child getting hurt. 

I could not stop in time. 

 

To avoid hitting her, I slammed on my brakes and swerved into on-coming traffic on the other side of the highway. 

No one was coming.  Thank God. 

 

Just when I thought we were in the clear, a huge truck, pulling a dune buggy on a trailer, slammed into the rear of this Caprice.  He was traveling at least 50 miles per hour, even after breaking himself. 

The collision launched us further into the other lane. 

75 feet further. 

Impact. 

 

All the coffee, the four of us were drinking, went flying all over the cab of the car. 

I got out of the car and saw the dune buggy hanging off the trailer. 

The truck that hit me was damaged a little bit. 

My car was totaled.  The entire rear end was accordioned in, all the way to the back glass of my beautiful car. 

 

I was freaking out.  Hollering,

 

“I have antifreeze all over me from this truck that hit me.  He has a busted radiator!  It is hot and scalding my skin.  Help me somebody.” 

 

It was all that hot coffee that went flying.  The creamer in the coffees had the same color as antifreeze in my shocked senses and in my terrified mind. 

 

Ambulances came.  Several police cars too. 

The three women in my life were taken to a local hospital for evaluation.  Neck strains for all three. 

I am standing on the highway watching my fiancé and her mother and sister being taken away. 

I was not hurt at all.  Maybe my ego.  I just lost a great car. 

 

The state trooper said to me,

“Well, I called a tow truck for you and for the truck and dune buggy hanging off the trailer, who hit you.  The truck that hit you is at fault, and I will write him a citation.  Are you hurt at all, Mr. Wilkins, looking at my driver’s license?” 

 

I answered, “No, Sir,” and then waited for the tow truck. 

 

He offered to take me to the hospital, and on his radio, he called dispatch to tell the tow truck drivers who were coming to the scene, to take my car to the junk yard of my choice. 

It was all set.  I have a ride. 

Not just any ride. 

 

So, I hopped in the passenger side of the police car up front, and buckled up for safety. 

I am looking around at the front dash and saw the shiny shotgun in its holder. 

I am gazing at the computer screen and radio equipment. 

Nice and clean up front. 

Of course, it had the protective steel screen separating the would-be offenders he would arrest in the future.  

All was well. 

 

I abruptly said to Officer McLennon,

 

“I have never ridden in the “front” of one of these before.  Lots of room up here.” 

 

He laughed and knew exactly what I was hinting about.   

 

I began to tell him my story about being in prison in 1976 and how I got saved by Jesus Christ, the short version of my life. 

We were almost at the hospital at this point.  Not much time to talk.

 

He’d driven his Cruiser to the hospital with lights flashing.  

Suddenly, he began to weep. 

 

 We arrived at the hospital two minutes later. 

 

I asked him what was wrong. 

He told me he had just gotten divorced.  And, he had lost the right to visit his children. 

The custody battle that he was in did not end in his favor.  He had just found out about the judge's decision before he arrived at the scene of my accident. 

 

He is telling me his heartbreak. 

 

His life had taken a turn in an “unexpected” event today.  The divorce was expected for sure, according to his short story to me. 

 

While now parked in front of the hospital entrance, I offered hope with the Lord leading me. 

Once he stopped crying, I asked him if I could pray for him, and that, if he was willing, accept Jesus Christ into his broken heart, by praying with me. 

 

He did.  We prayed. 

And then, we exchanged phone numbers. 

 

This State Trooper, Mr. McLennon, drove off.  I went to check on the girls, and they were fine.  No major injuries to any of them. 

 

Moral of this story? 

There is only one thought, not a moral. 

 

I could quote a bunch of scriptures, but I won’t. 

I could share how I heard from God about this man, but I didn’t. 

 

I did not see an open vision earlier in the day of this car wreck. 

Had no clue what was about to happen. 

I had just been to the beach, and didn’t get to finish my coffee with creamer. 

 

Unexpected.  Unbelievable. Supernatural. 

 

One thing for sure.  The girl with the baby? 

The officer wrote her a warning ticket about not securing her baby in the back seat of her car with a child restraint car seat.   

The driver of the truck and dune buggy felt bad about what happened and offered an apology. 

I would like to say I was this “super-spiritual” MAN OF GOD, but I wasn’t. 

I was truly bent out of shape losing my nice car, and having my future family traumatized and with slight neck injuries. 

Whiplash anyone? 

 

A long time ago in my past, the police always found me. 

 

Today, I found the police. 

 

Then, the Holy Ghost found Mr. McLennon. 

 

This unexpected tragedy that could have been much worse, wasn’t. 

 

The expected part of today? 

Just a beach trip and hot coffee (antifreeze in my mind) that turned awry. 

 

By faith, expect the unexpected from God.   

Today was not about Jumbo-shrimp. 

It could have been as we were at the beach after all.  Lots of seafood here.   

 

This whole day was bittersweet. 

My car was totaled. 

My life, spared. 

And my new family-to-be, safe.   

 

There was no deafening silence either, just metal bending, or tires screeching.   

 

A divorced, broken-hearted father, and an officer of the law, saved is sweet. 

 

As sweet as it gets in my eyes. 

Copyright © 2025 by Joe Wilkins