One Word
This winter on The Daily Pattern we’re in a series called One Word. Each day we take one word – a feeling or circumstance – and bring a word from God to it. Let the Word of God speak to your life.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross, and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matt. 5:4) O Lord, I suffer grief and loss. You alone are my comfort. Amen.
Word: Hebrews 11:13-16
“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. … Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.”
Meditation
Anticipation by Megan Roegner
A week before Christmas my son Sam and I were chatting about all of the upcoming events we were looking forward to: hosting guests; seeing family from out of town; the Christmas Eve service; presents; waking up to full stockings on Christmas morning; a New Year weekend trip to see our close friends. But instead of being completely excited, Sam turned glum, sighing, “And then it will be all over.”
For Sam, I played the role of mature adult and talked about enjoying things in the moment and how special days wouldn’t be special if they lasted forever. But I secretly feel the same way every Christmas. While I love the anticipation of Advent, going to bed on Christmas night is a letdown. And then there’s the crushing disappointment of returning to the normal routine the first week of January with nothing to look forward to except cold and February (without a doubt the most miserable of all months, which must be why God made it so short).
I am fueled by anticipation. My brain is always scrambling to find something to look forward to, and once it arrives, instead of being satisfied, I’m immediately searching for the next thing. Despite my advice to Sam, I have a hard time living in the moment. In the timeless words of Carly Simon, “Anticipation is making me late, is keeping me waiting.”
I get frustrated with myself for never feeling fully at peace and satisfied. For never basking in the glow of the desired moment without mourning its impending loss. But I wonder if maybe people sometimes feel this way because we aren’t made to be satisfied by the things of this world, even the good things.
In Hebrews 11, we hear about heroes of faith, like Abraham and Sarah, who did not see fulfillment of God’s promises during their time on earth. Yet, they did not despair nor even expect to find their satisfaction here because they knew they were “foreigners and strangers on earth. … Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:13, 16).
When I think about heaven, I don’t so much imagine what it looks like but rather how it feels —getting what we most desire without the letdown of endings or the tedium of familiarity. The thrill of anticipation here is, perhaps, a fleeting taste of the eternal joy to come.
Dear Jesus, let all of the things we anticipate here on earth show us that our true longing is for you and our heavenly home. Amen.
Prayer for Life as a Child of God
· For the Father to give me care and guidance.
· For forgiveness when I wander and want my own way.
· For the Father to keep me childlike in faith even as I age.
· For growth in faith, that I love and trust in God above all things.
· For strength to obey God.
· For the Father to heal my hurts.
· For assurance when I doubt.
Closing Prayer
O Lord, your ways are not our ways. Teach us your will, even when it appears backwards. We want to know you. We want what you want. Thy will be done, in Jesus’ name. Amen.