Living in the Tension of Now and Not Yet

Waiting in Anticipation

Do you wait in daily anticipation of the blessed hope of Christ’s return?

That question stopped me this week. My first instinct was to nod yes. Of course I do. But then I sat with it a little longer, and I had to be honest with myself. Most mornings begin not with anticipation, but with distraction. The sink is full of dishes. My phone is buzzing with reminders. There are appointments, conversations, and worries waiting before my feet even hit the floor. By the time I notice, the day has pulled me under. And the longing for His coming feels distant.

I think this is the wrestle of being here. We live in a world that demands our attention, yet we are also asked to keep our eyes lifted to heaven. It is hard to hold both at once. And maybe that is why waiting in anticipation takes intention.

For me, it looks small. It is not always a grand display of devotion. Sometimes it’s lingering a little longer in scripture, letting a verse echo through the day. Sometimes it is pausing long enough to feel that nudge to send a message, make a call, or check on someone. Sometimes it’s as simple as noticing the way the sky shifts in the evening, and remembering He promised to come again.

And then there is the other part of the question: What works is He calling you to do that can display the work He has done in your heart?

This one feels tender. Because I know the places where I fall short. I know the sharp edges in me that still need softening. Yet even in that, I sense His invitation. Today He might be calling me to forgive where it is not easy. Tomorrow it might look like showing up with love where I’d rather hold back. The work shifts, but the call is the same: let His grace shape how I live.

I don’t wait perfectly. I don’t always notice. But I keep coming back. And maybe that is the heart of anticipation—choosing, over and over, to turn my face toward Him.

So here is my quiet question for you, the same one I am asking myself: What is one small thing you can do today that will keep His coming close in your heart?