Stirrings of Anticipation

On my walk around the neighborhood by the church, I spent time praying for the people whose homes I passed while I looked for signs of anticipation.  That is the theme of week one in Advent at Messiah during Sunday worship - “Stirrings of Anticipation.”

 At many homes - on the grass and by the curbs - I saw newspapers.  Some were delivered that day and some had obviously been there for a long time.  I thought of the people who wrote the articles in the papers - their feelings of anticipation as people read what they wrote.  Would people like their writings?  Would they be criticized?  Would what they wrote help someone? Their anticipations were unmet by the people who never picked up their paper.  

Our anticipations based upon what God has told  us never go unmet.  They may not happen as we thought; but, during those times, God is still with us loving us and caring for us.  Hard to see some nights but something to cling to in unsure times.  

In this regard, I’ve been thinking and journaling about Romans 8: 18 from The Message:  "I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.“

God bless your Advent days.