If FMF wrote to an image prompt and not to a word, Kate's picture of boots ready to start an adventure would be perfect. How fun to write about and anticipate the always unknown we walk into.
Lately I've been reminding myself a lot that the best way to predict the future is to create it. And I wonder what on earth happened when so little I anticipated came to be. I haven't said much about that recently, but my "life stuff" tag leads to some I dared make public.
With yet another devastating war filled with unimaginable violence and horror, what can we anticipate? More of the same or similar? This week for my scripture blog on Philippians 4:1-9, I'm writing on God's presence.
• Pentecost 20A on Urban Wilderness/City Paradise
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and petitions with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will protect your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7Carly Simon's "Anticipation" opens with "We can never know about the days to come, but we think about them anyway (autocorrect just now changed my error to antiwar. Wow!) Anticipation the song ends with "These are the good old days" and I know I'm engaging in irresponsible eisegesis to align those lyrics with today anticipating a better unknown future, but you know about poetic license.
As I prayerfully and fearfully (fear in the sense of anxiety, not in the holy awe meaning of Martin's Luther's explanation to each commandment in his Small Catechism, "We should fear and love God above all things") anticipate the future of planet earth, particularly my current small slice of creation, more of Carly's music and lyrics encourage and remind us into God's future.
Let the river run. Let all the dreamers wake the nation. Come, the new Jerusalem.
We're coming to the edge // Running on the water
Coming through the fog // Your sons and daughters
We the great and small // Stand on a star
And blaze a trail of desire // Through the darkening dawn
God's sons and God's daughters! Let's trust God's presence and anticipate the unknown in our sturdy boots. Let's blaze a trail of desire. Let's predict the future and participate with God in the adventure of creating that future we anticipate. Amen? Amen!
Anticipating good. Because no matter what, our end means we’re face to face with Jesus. And if we’re known and our names are recorded in His book, we will have anticipated correctly. Anticipating good.
ReplyDeleteAnd when darkness starts to fall,
ReplyDeleteand there's no joy to be full,
take a deep breath and stand tall,
and rise to be the miracle.
Not in simple terms, for sure;
it's not for you to heal world's ills,
but set example to endure,
and lifting eyes unto the hills
wait in hope for holy aid,
anticipate the coming dawn,
for thus is human courage made,
and the will to yet go on
through the tear-stained veils of sorrow
to the promise of a bright tomorrow.