ANTICIPATION

It's Thanksgiving today.  I ran early this morning while the world was quiet and dark.  Recently my brother-in-law said something to me about running with his ipod and did I run with mine.  I responded that I don't own an ipod and even if I did I don't know as though I would always run with music - it's a magical free think and pray time for me.  So today, ipodless once again, as I ran I noticed how many people were up early (before 7 a.m.) on Thanksgiving morning.  There were lights on and I imagined that people were getting turkeys in the oven, preparing their family's favorite holiday side dishes, setting the table or getting ready to travel to see those they loved today.  Anticipation I thought.  There is anticipation in holidays.  For some it's anticipation for them to get here as they thoroughly relish every moment of not only the preparation but the day itself.  For others it is anticipation for the whole fiasco to be over :)  When I was a kid there was a ketchup commercial for Heinz ketchup which actually used the song from Carly Simon "Anticipation" - "Anticipation, Anticipation is making me late, is keeping me waiting".  The commerical was touting the fact that their ketchup was so thick that you had to wait, with anticipation, for it to come out of the bottle, but that it was worth the wait.  The song really is about loving someone but not being able to be with that person in the present but the anticipation of hope that keeps you waiting on the person you love.  If I zoom out further, God speaks of anticipation throughout scripture.  The picture of Simeon waiting for the consolation (to alleviate grief, trouble and bring comfort) of Israel through the birth of Christ.  Simeon gets to see that anticipation fulfilled when he holds a baby Jesus in his arms in the temple. He is the hope of the nations.  Jesus is the long anticipated fulfillment of promise and salvation.  It also says that we wait (anticipate) for the blessed hope - the reappearing of Christ Jesus.  Clearly hope is an anchor both spiritually and practically.  I am anticipating many things in my life - some of which are keeping me waiting.  Waiting though with great anticipation of what is coming out of that bottle of ketchup:)