I went to Target today.
I know. No one is shocked.
Anyway, I went to Target and immediately fell in love with all of the new Christmas decorations they have in the store, right next to the Halloween items now 70% off. I managed to leave with a new Christmas tree skirt, a wreath, and a tiny bit left of my bank account.
I called my best friend on the way home and warned her that she should not go to Target as everything was so pretty tempting. We talked for a little bit about the upcoming season, and then she said, “Really, this is the best time of year, right now. We aren’t overwhelmed with things to do yet, and we have everything to look forward to. This is the fun part!”
I have been thinking about this conversation for several hours now, and what I keep coming back to is the difference between waiting and anticipating.
The holidays are full of anticipation. We plan and choreograph everything from family gatherings to holiday meals to breakfasts with Santa to decorations for our homes. We are joyful and excited as we count down the days.
Holidays aren’t the only occasions we anticipate. My girls began counting down to their birthdays months in advance. They even made countdown calendars to the school book fair. They love to look forward to things, and I think that is a trait a lot of us share, children and adults alike.
But what about waiting? Why is that so much harder to do? It’s the same concept as anticipation of the holidays or a birthday or a book fair. We want something, and it isn’t ready yet. So we must wait. We must find a way to pass the time so we don’t go insane. And yet for me, waiting is so, so different.
Whether it was waiting to receive an interview for my first teaching job, or waiting for my first (or second or third or fourth) baby, or waiting for our house to be built, or waiting for my husband to get home after a long day of mom life… waiting nearly kills me, every time.
Why can’t I “wait” with the same joy that I “anticipate?” Why can’t my children wait for their chicken nuggets to cook with the same joy that they anticipate what Santa might leave them on Christmas Eve?
You could say that the reason why it is easier to anticipate an exciting holiday season than it is to wait for something like a phone call from your doctor is because one is a happy occasion and the other might not be.
But Friends, we don’t know any of that for sure. We don’t know if the holidays will be full of the merriment and wonder that we so very much wish for, and we also don’t know if every medical test, meeting with the boss, or delayed reply to your last text message will bring bad news.
We don’t know.
The only difference between waiting and joyful anticipation is our own attitude about it. The best part is that we have the power to change all of that. We can turn waiting from a time of worry and anxiousness into a time of excitement and hope, simply by changing our mindset.
And also by reminding ourselves of the truth.
“Jesus replied, ‘You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” – John 13:7
We are given many opportunities to practice patience in our lifetime. It could be something as simple as anticipating Christmas, and it could be something as gut-wrenching as waiting to become pregnant – but God knows what He is doing.
We can wait with worry or anticipate with joy. The time will pass anyway.
