Breathless Anticipation

I am a people watcher :) I love people and I love to watch them, whether I know them or not. Especially around holidays (any holiday) and MOST especially around Christmas. There is a crazed frenzy around Christmas, people are nuts...trying to get the best, the biggest, the greatest deal, the newest gadget...I love watching the moms with the tired kids crying behind her walking into "just one more store", or the boyfriend who waited until the last minute to get a gift for his girlfriend and he KNOWS he has to get it right or else. Or the last minute shoppers in the grocery stores and pharmacies because no other place is still open, trying to find something that can pass for a gift. I really like watching the little kids at the train and Santa places, their eyes all big and round, mesmerized by all the lights, glitter and choo-choos of the train. Santa seems so big to them, they are a little intimidated, but mom and dad want the picture with Santa, even if the kids are crying in it.....and the kids just want a present and a candy cane :). There is a breathless anticipation of this ginormous (threw that in there for all the ELF fans) holiday coming.



Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmastime, it is one of my two favorite holidays. But, this year, I wondered to myself as I was doing my people watching..."What are we so breathlessly awaiting?". Is it the presents we are going to receive? The ones we got others? Watching our children or grandchildren open their presents? Are we awaiting that amazing Christmas meal grandma always makes? What in the world are we rushing after? The excitement of one day of presents and food? Visiting family? What is it?

Simeon breathlessly awaited the coming of the Messiah, he held on to the promise that he would not die until he saw the Savior of the world. Should we not be anticipating the same thing? Should we not put the same zeal and frenzy into the coming of Christ? During Christmastime, we celebrate Advent, we celebrate the birth of Christ. We do devotions and light candles, we read the Christmas story to our children, we celebrate the baby Jesus. But He is coming back :) shouldn't we be in breathless anticipation of His return?

I love baby Jesus (yes, little 8 lb 6 oz baby Jesus :) I love the stories of the angels, shepherds and wise men. I like to wonder about Mary, and how she felt as she held Gods' son. Did she count all the fingers and toes as we mothers do? Did she feel awe at His every coo and gurgle? Was she overwhelmed at the responsibility of raising the Messiah? There is a warm familiarity in these stories and wonderings.

But He is coming back :) He did not come to this earth as just a baby, He came as the one and only that could free us from our sin. His story doesn't end with His birth or even His death. The story only began there, it is far from over. We hurriedly rush around at Christmas, trying to find the "perfect" gifts....what if we hurried into the arms of Christ? What if we not only accepted the true "perfect" gift, but were so consumed by it that we had no choice but to share it with others? What if our goal in this life were to breathlessly anticipate the return of our Lord? What an incredibly different life view we would have.

My life has been overwhelmed with the presence of Christ, I have been changed, renewed, transformed, forgiven and unconditionally loved. I am a new creation. And that's just now, with me here on this earth and my Christ up in Heaven. I breathlessly anticipate seeing Him face to face, standing in awe of my Lord, for I know that all the blessings of this world will seem small when faced with the presence of the One who died for me. Until my last breath I will wait on His return, ready to be taken home, ready to be forever in Christ. Until my last breath, I will share this hope and this love with all that I meet, in the hope that they will share in my anticipation and in His salvation.

If I am going to rush, it will be into His arms. If I am going to search, it will be for His face. If I am going to be mesmerized, it will be by His love. If I am going to find gifts, they will be in His grace and mercy. If I am going to live, truly live, it will be for Him.

I am breathlessly anticipating......