Almost. . .

Matthew says lots of new words each week. One of his most commonly spoken words is, "Almost." He says this all the time, especially when we are playing basketball or some other sport. "Almost" has a broad meaning for him. He may shoot a ball at a full-size basket, come up 8 feet short, and still say, "Almost."

It is fun to have things to look forward to. Right now, I am almost done with school. Tonight I finish up my last homework for the semester, and tomorrow I go to my final class for the semester. It is almost Christmas time, which means we will be celebrating as a family, and my parents will be up for a visit. It is almost time for my best friend Dave to get married (December 30th). Not to mention that it is almost time for the premier of Season 6 of 24 (the prequel is now on YouTube).

Strangly enough, I find for myself that the things I most look forward to can tend to let me down. I think that time off from school, or getting to a special event, or seeing old friends, will deliver more happiness than is possible. So, I the move on to look forward to something else: I'm almost done with my entire seminary education, Matthew is almost to the point that we can fully converse, I am almost 30 (oh wait, that is one that I am not looking forward to).

Well, that's it. End of post.

What a downer. What am I saying, that Christmas isn't going to be as great as we think it will be? Well, maybe. I guess I find that I am able to enjoy things much more when I look at them for what they are. When I find that I am placing a great deal of hope in something that God did not create to deliver on that hope, I can become disillusioned.

God does give me tons to hope in. I hope for growth and maturity in my own life. I hope for the gospel to change to lives of those around me. I hope in greater joy in my life as I cling to Christ and live as his disciple. And I hope for the great fulfillment and fullness that will come when I am graciously brought into the new heavens and the new earth. There is plenty to hope in. Maybe I can enjoy the simple things a lot more if I just enjoy them for what they are, and don't expect them to be something they are not.