Life of Anticipation


 

The lawn is mowed. The goals are set. The ball is properly inflated and ready. The sun is up. The game awaits. 
As I walked on this particular morning, approaching this yard evoked a sense of anticipation. Everything was in place. Everything was ready. The only thing missing were some players. I imagined a couple of loud, laughing children running with abandon and making the most out of the beautiful day and the opportunity to live large. I could sense the coming joy and energy. I could feel, for a moment, what it would be like to be young again.
As I later looked at this photograph, I realized that it also represents each new morning, regardless of our age. Each day holds the excitement of, well, another day. There is the opportunity to live fully into each moment, full of energy and joy, even in trying circumstances. There is the opportunity to connect with others in a meaningful way. There is the opportunity for playfulness, which can lighten our load and reset our thinking.
The Elder writes, “Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” The life of faith is a life of anticipation. We do not know all the details. We cannot know all we would like to know about the journey that lies ahead. But we can anticipate each day , knowing that we belong to God and to each other. No matter our age or season in life, we are children, God’s children, and we can live in confidence. And we can stop from time to time and play with joy.
Peace.

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