Anticipation

There are times in our lives that fill us with excitement. We can’t wait for the day to come! Here are a few that I remember.

First day in Kindergarten – My mother told me when I turned five, I could go to school.  So, on my birthday, I dressed up and was ready to catch the school bus with my older brother. Mom said I’d have to wait until September.  When the day came, the bubbling excitement was even greater.

High school graduation – I looked forward to and dreaded that day. I went from kindergarten through high school in the same town.  I knew graduation meant friends would scatter; life would change.  It was a time for tears and joyful laughter.

Going off to college – Oh, boy, that was scary!  I wasn’t going to be living on campus, but with strangers.  And embarking on a new adventure in a different state far from home filled me with butterflies.  Excitement and terror.

Taking my first flight as a stewardess – I’d dreamed for years of traveling, and this was the opportunity of a lifetime.  The first time I came aboard a stretch DC-8, I felt like I was already in flight.

Wedding day – Ah, yes, the wedding day.  I’ve known Rick since 5th grade, but my how he’d grown up!  I couldn’t wait to be married to my handsome Marine.  We’ll be celebrating our 52nd anniversary December 21!

First baby, second baby, third baby -fear/pain/joy mixed  –  I was jubilant when I learned our babies were on the way.  And as each pregnancy progressed and I grew – too big to be behind the wheel of a car – nerves set in.  First baby:  What would childbirth be like?  Would I be brave or screeching?  I learned after the first, mama is too busy pushing to worry.  Rick still talks about those three miraculous days – and brags he was the first to hold our babies.

Publication of first novel – I was excited; but overwhelmed when I saw it in a bookstore.  There it was! A book with my name on it.  Unbelievable!

First book made into a movie – “The Last Sin Eater” –   Michael Landon, Jr. and Brian Bird’s script kept the story right on base.  What a thrill to see the movie at the premiere in Indianapolis.

Redeeming Love on the big screen –  The anticipation increases daily to see the fulfillment of a thirty-year dream.  The way it all came together is a miracle, not to mention the filming completed 24 hours ahead of the COVID shutdown.  My constant prayer remains the same:  Lord, be glorified!  When viewers leave the cinema, let them carry with them a hunger and thirst for the redeeming love of Jesus Christ.