Anticipation

 Luke 1:57-58

The Birth of John the Baptist

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

The birth of John -

the eagerly anticipated forerunner of Jesus

Anticipation

May be accompanied

with joy or with dread

Longed-for events carry

more than a whiff of unpredictability

The birth of a baby

confounds expectations

and wreaks havoc that lasts a lifetime

As we anticipate birth in this season

may our careful preparations be disrupted

by all that refuses to fit our narrow vision

And may our hearts be expanded

to encompass the chaos into which we are invited

And may both joy and dread accompany our anticipation

of God being born into a world such as this.

(Liz Crumlish)