by Kendall & Cathy Thomas.
Anticipation is the action of anticipating something, expectation, forethought, or prediction. In Hebrew it means expectation, getting ready for what God has told you is coming, ie promises, and it is powerful. Philippians 2:12-13 (NLT) says, “… work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”
Paul told young Timothy in I Timothy 4:12 to set an example for believers. It meant to abandon your own ideas of what could and should happen, and instead seek God, listen, and trust in what He says. This reminds me of what we say in UME as we set off on the “Quest”, more “misadventure.”
This means different than we may anticipate. God has created each of us as unique individuals. Anticipation is not only waiting on God to see what unfolds or what He will do. No! It is not passive but active. Anticipation becomes a verb when used with its object. We collaborate with God. We are co-laborers. We all are part of the body of Christ. We serve the same God who is agape love, who gives the same gifts, and we have the same fruit of the Spirit, but this is lived out in billions of different ways because each person is unique. This is anticipation, with billions of different variables, angles, looks, etc. Wow! Anticipation, yes, for what God is doing and what is created when we work with Him; walk, live, love in and through Him in our own uniqueness.
Anticipation is excitement, waiting eagerly for something you know is going to happen, like someone who proposes waits in anticipation of the reply and together they wait for the wedding day.
UME is on a quest to build better communication, better marriages and better relationships. We have co-labored with God to see Jeremiah 29:11 come true in 2023. We anticipate and expect to bear more fruit as we who are called and chosen for more work together in 2024. The best is yet to come!
In His Service,
Kendall and Cathy Thomas
Clergy Executive Couple
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