Anticipation!

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything which makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. Hebrews 11:1 The Message

During the 1970’s, Heinz catsup had a commercial which aired to show the television audience just how rich and thick their catsup was compared to other brands. In the add, as the catsup slowly poured from the Heinz bottle, the song, Anticipation by Carly Simon, was playing in the background while viewers watched the catsup slowly pour from the bottle over a plate of french fries. It was the perfect illustration of anticipation!

Anticipation is defined as waiting eagerly for something you know is going to happen. At this time of year, the anticipation around our house is building every day as we await the beginning of another season of College Football and the Dawgs back in action. The prognosticators have been working feverishly to set the stage for what they say will be, the best season ever.

Randy and most of his buddies, can tell you exactly how many days, hours, and minutes are left before the players hit the field, the football is “teed up”, the whistle blows, and the game begins. We’ve anticipated this day for about seven months, and the day is almost here!!

Sometimes it’s exciting to anticipate an event, a trip, a special occasion, etc., but on the other hand, it can be nerve wracking. Anticipation is basically a meditation on the notions of time, and how we all get trapped thinking about the future instead of enjoying the present.

In the spring of 1924, Jack Sundine was a four year old kid, standing in a line with his father inside the White House, eagerly anticipating meeting President Calvin Coolidge. As they neared him, Jack noticed that the President said something to each visitor. He couldn’t wait to hear what the President would say to him. Soon the thrilling moment arrived. Jack put his small hand in the hand of the President’s. Then the President said words Jack had not anticipated, but he would never forget: “Move along.” Not the ending he had anticipated.

Sometimes anticipation doesn’t live up to our hopes, but it is a powerful thing if it is directed in the right manner toward the right thing. Anticipation can either destroy your peace and even your faith through worry and anxiety over what is, or something that may never happen, or it can spur you onward in faith and joy.

Anticipation is a core element of the Christian faith, involving not just waiting, but also actively preparing and living in a way that reflects Christ’s teachings. As Christians, we are anticipating the return of Jesus someday, and the ongoing presence of His grace in this world of today.

There is a tension we feel in this country as we try to get a grip on the senseless shootings, natural disasters, and everyday pain, frustration, and sadness. Things that we never in our wildest thoughts anticipated would happen in our country are happening right before our eyes, and we seem helpless to stop them.

On a daily basis, we see much unrest, war, and human suffering. It is frustrating as we ponder an answer to these problems, but if we look ahead with a sense of anticipation, we remember that we also have faith in Jesus to handle his world.

Anticipation is about expectation. We look ahead to what is coming and believe with certainty that it will happen. Another word for anticpation and expectation is faith. Faith is the confidence that what we believe is true, and our faith as believers is rooted in who Jesus is, what He has done, and what He will do.

Rather than anticpating the worst, try remembering that whether we experience good things right now or one day in eternity, good things are ahead because our God is faithful and everything He promises is true.

Andy Warhol said, The idea of anticipating something makes it more exciting. As we enter the fall, and all the anticipation ahead of us remember that He has made an awful lot of exciting things for us to enjoy! Go Dawgs!