The Wonderful Gift of 'Anticipation'

“There will no longer be any curse, and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face and His name will be on their foreheads” (Rev. 22:3-4).

Hey Gang:  I think I have mentioned before, I am the son of a Pennsylvania coal miner which makes me a true - blue red necked hillbilly.  They used to say we lived so far back in the sticks they had to pump sunshine to us and even the hoot owls wore knapsacks.  My Daddy was a coal miner. There is a television program titled “Dirty, Dangerous, and Low-paying Jobs”.  That is a perfect description of coal mining.

Although we were as poor as the proverbial 'church-meeses', my mother always managed to hide enough money under the corner of the living room carpet to buy something for Christmas that we really wanted. When I was four or five, I wanted a little yellow truck that had a dump bed on it.  For months, I dreamed of that truck and counted the days until Christmas morning arrived and I would find the truck under the tree.

Christmas that morning, was to be a time of deep disappointment and great joy for me.  After anticipating that for months, I expected that on Christmas morning I would find a little yellow dump truck with had my name on it. 

The day finally arrived and the anticipation level had risen to the place where I could hardly sleep. I jumped out of bed and ran to the tree- only to find there was no little yellow truck with a dump bed under the tree.  Pow! Words could not describe my disappointment.  But I did find a box with a map inside that told me I should follow the path and there would be a surprise at the end of the trail.

Eating breakfast only added to the anticipation of what was at the end of the trail. I donned my threads and set out on the treasure journey and, just as the note said, there at the end of the trail was a little yellow truck.

I learned a lesson that year that has stuck with me for over 80 years: There is great joy in anticipation! I remember the little yellow truck, as if it was yesterday, because it was the end of a magnificent trail called “anticipation”. I believe one of the great sins in our nation today is that parents and others have taken away the tremendous joy of anticipation from our children and replaced it with instant gratification. Keep in mind, when we do not teach our children the joys of anticipation, they may miss the joys that await them in that place that God prepared for those who believe in Him.

But I have a far greater anticipation that has grown in my heart and soul since that day when I recognized the need in my life for a Savior who is Christ the Lord.  I grow daily in anticipation that one day soon He will either say “Time to come home and to hear Him say ‘Well done faithful servant, enter that place I have prepared for you.”

Or perhaps I will still have breath, in this aging body, to see Him come in the sky and call His children up to meet Him in the air.  I anticipate with great excitement that moment when we are taken to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb and we become attached to him as His Bride.  How sad I feel this morning for those who have never enjoyed the joy of anticipating one day standing in the presence of the One who loved us so much He came as man and died on a hideous cross to break the bondage of sin in our lives. 

So my young friends, keep in mind, Jesus is going to come again – soon! I pray your anticipation is growing to fever pitch, for I suspect that day may not be too far in the future.

Blessings,

Gramps