anticipation

I think one of the most song identifiable commercials I remember seeing when I was younger was of a little boy with an open Heinz Ketchup bottle over a hamburger, waiting for the good stuff to come out. In the background Carly Simon's "Anticipation" was playing. It was such a perfectly orchestrated marriage of song and image-you could not hear poor Carly's song ever after without thinking of a boy and ketchup. Lately a song I've come to enjoy even though I don't normally listen to country has several combinations of lines in the chorus with the same thought...it ain't the havin', it's the wishin', it ain't the catchin', it's the fishin'...I think everyone loves to anticipate something. Kids can't wait for Christmas or birthdays or snow days. There are several things I'm anticipating within the next few years-finally, a high school graduation with all the trappings! My older two children were too cool for that, so I made my youngest sign a blood oath to give her poor mother the pleasure (not really, sort of). There will also be the first college graduation, a couple of long awaited reunions with family and absent friends, and, my son relocating to a closer facility that doesn't take hours to reach.

I would say, though, the only thing that makes anticipation good is finally getting what you are waiting for, so I take some exception to the twangy chorus I enjoy. It's both wishing and having, it's both the reaching and the catching, the preaching and the heaven. The Proverbs remind that hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled gladdens it. I think I'm ready to be gladdened. It takes faith to let yourself anticipate, especially if life has dealt some severe blows. It can be safe to not hope for anything sometimes. Then you aren't disappointed. The thing is, though, you won't be rejoicing about anything either. There are no guarantees of anything except that God is loving and true, and promises good things for His children. Not wanting them or thinking He won't deliver is a way of saying He's not trustworthy. But at times, it feels that way. Or the gifts He gives seem to be wrapped in razor wire. It takes care and time, patience and trust to find the blessings.

My mom took me to see the movie "West Side Story" when I was a preteen. I think it was after the release year, but it was still a huge deal because we had to go into the city to a fancy theater, when theaters were still really theaters, and I saw the dancing and heard the music on the huge screen. I sort of laughed when the actor who played Tony came right up to the screen showing off his cavities singing "something's coming, something good, if I can wait..." That's the way I feel now, though I do not know what is coming. Come on, something, come on in, don't be shy, meet a guy (gal!!), pull up a chair...the air is humming, and something great is coming...After a time of dormancy, learning, testing, trusting and waiting with anticipation, something is coming, and I'm ready.