Expectant Joy

 December 23, 2020

 Amid the joy of baking Christmas cookies and playing games with loved ones,  I have found a little time to begin planning what I would like to share with our students at CCA. One of the ways that I'm preparing includes setting up the habitat for the Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. Now I'm sure that does not sound exciting to most of you at all. And definitely not a very Christmassy activity! 

Today is the day that the roaches arrive and I have been waiting and watching expectantly all day! I can't wait to use them to teach the students about ecology, insects, and well, life in general! My family is laughing at how excited I am about these decomposers who share a name with our nemesis roaches that cause house infestations.

Expectant Joy. We are two days away from Christmas. While I am excited to celebrate Christmas with family and friends, I am reminded of the expectant joy that the shepherds must have felt as they journeyed to the manger on that first Christmas. What joy to know that their trek would end in finding the promised Savior! It has caused me to pause and reflect. Do I wait with expectant joy to meet our Savior? Am I as excited for Jesus' return as I am for the arrival of a couple of insects?!

All of our earthly difficulties and stressful holiday events pale in comparison to the joy our Heavenly Father has in store for us. Living in this expectant joy changes our perspective of life here on earth as well. How much easier the burdens become when we realize that we are on a journey as well. We travel through this life destined to meet our Savior - no longer in a manger but now the risen Lord who paid our debt on the cross. Jesus, who rose again that we might live with Him forever - not in a stable but in a mansion prepared for us in heaven. 

How then shall we live? In fear of a virus? Afraid of what others might think of us? Scared of political strife? Overwhelmed by financial or economic burdens? While we must face these trials head on, we are not without hope. With expectant joy, we shoulder our challenges knowing that ultimately God sustains us. So we live, not downcast, but with expectant joy. Not happy all of the time as our struggles are indeed very real but with expectant joy knowing that peace was restored with the birth of Jesus on that first Christmas morning.

Romans 8:18. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

May the Joy of the first Christmas be yours this Christmas and always!