Anticipation

This coming Saturday is the third Saturday of July, which in Dulce means that this is Little Beaver week. Little Beaver is the community celebration that includes a dog show, ice cream social, mud bog, 72 mile horse race, archery and horseshoe contests, carnival, rodeo and powwow. And a few other events. And a parade. Did I mention that there is a parade?

The parade is a big deal. In my opinion I think it is a first-rate parade and somewhat remarkable for a community of our size. It happens on Saturday morning and this year, like every year we have been here, people claim their spots for watching the parade early.   As I came back to town Tuesday evening I saw the first places marked off, and the marking has been increasing during the day today. In the photo there are several trucks parked on the route and you may be able to see some orange plastic tape strung up to mark another spot. Saturday morning, for roughly a mile, every linear inch of the parade route will be filled on both sides of the street.

The parade is a big deal and it is a lot of fun to watch it with friends. It is fun to watch the floats go by and throw candy to the kids. It is fun to call out to people riding on the floats who have become our friends. And the kids really like the last vehicle in the parade. It is almost certain to be a hot day, and they absolutely love being sprayed at the end by a fire engine.

The thing that I am mindful of today, as people claim their places for Saturday morning, is the sense of anticipation. The parade will be fun and people want to make certain that they have their spot to enjoy the fun as the parade goes by. They are marking out a spot as early as four days ahead so that they won't miss anything come Saturday morning.

Anticipation can also be found among Christians, as we look forward to the joys of heaven. The Bible has a few things to say about this, particularly in Revelation. Two images that I am fond of are Revelation 21:2

"And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband,"

and Revelation 21:4,

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things have passed away."

Beautiful words from God about the delights of the true home for his children. And reserving your spot is as "simple" repenting of your sin and trusting in Jesus for salvation.

I put "simple" in quotation marks, because coming to the point of seeing your need for salvation and then turning to Jesus for that salvation can be a long and arduous journey. But that is a blog post for another day.

Fellow sister or brother in Christ: Your place with the Lord has already been reserved. Live with a sense of joyful anticipation of the day you see, and join in, the celebration.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.