The Joy of Anticipation
Joseph [and Mary] went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David… While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ~ Luke 2:4,6
I can remember a little over 4 years ago our excitement as we anticipated the birth of our daughter Savannah. We would talk about what she was going to look like. We talked about if she would be a boy or a girl, we didn’t find out until she was born. (We both were hoping for a girl). There was a sense of excitement that came along with having a child, but there was also fear.
We had already had Trey and we were very comfortable in our lives. A second baby was going to change our comfort level. We were just starting to get 7-8 hours a sleep again, but that was going to change. Trey had been the center or our lives for the previous 2 years and that was going to change for him. As parents, we were going to go from two-on-one to man-to-man defense. Despite the fears and the uncertainty that we faced, we also had much joy.
As Becca’s due date came closer so did uncomfortable nights. The excitement of the day that we would meet our child grew and grew, just like a little child waiting for Christmas, but the day the doctor guessed that Savannah would be born came and went, and she didn’t come. It would be like telling a child that Christmas is on December 25 only to wake up on the 25 and be told you will have to wait another day or two. The excitement of waiting slowly started to fade and the discomfort for Becca continued. As one day turned into two and two into a week, we wondered if this little person inside Becca was ever going to come out. As we passed the 10 days late point, the joy of waiting had all but disappeared. We just wanted the baby to come out so we could meet her. Because we were done waiting, we tried all of the old wives tails you could think of, running, walking, cleaning, walking up stairs, we even started going to certain restaurants that had labor inducing salads or pizza. Nothing worked. As we were approaching 14 days late, our doctor said that we would have to induce if she didn’t come on the 14th day.
On day 13 with no signs of labor we had all but given up on Savannah coming on her own and started to prepare for induction the next day. It was that night that Becca went into labor. Savannah came the next day and all of the discomfort and pain that Becca had gone through seem to fade with the joy that Savannah’s birth brought us.
Often in our lives we don’t like to wait. We want things to hurry and get here. We are so ready for the end to arrive that we forget to enjoy the journey along the way. With just one week left until we celebrate Christmas, it won’t be to long before stores forget about Christmas and point us to Valentine’s Day. Let’s us not rush through Advent, let us enjoy what time we have left as we anticipate with great joy the coming of our savior. Let us enjoy time with our family and friends and truly savor the moment, and not just rush through the motions. Because if we take a step back and take in our surroundings, who knows where joy might come this Christmas season?