[A guest post by my husband, Glenn]

This morning, I was awakened at 5:49am by my wife with the mandate to go address the exuberant, vivacious chattering that was occurring in the boys’ room. Apparently, Jordan had climbed into Samuel’s bed, and they were in active discussion regarding a new adventure that they planned to implement upon the break of day. The fact that Elijah’s crib is located beside to their bed and the likelihood that their mini-fiesta would wake him never seemed to occur to them.

So I gently and cordially, in love, (ahem) had them leave their room and relocate to the living room, where they have busily been engaged in the task that they had been anticipating. Now all I have to do is keep them quiet (which is quite a challenge).

Interestingly, I also have my own point of anticipation that I have mused upon over the last 12 hours. This evening, Ruth and I will enjoy a very special outing that we have been planning for some time. We will be leaving our four boys with my parents, going out to dinner with friends, and then attending a performance by the Charlotte Symphony. I find that thinking about how much fun this evening will be adjusts the way that I perceive the world around me at this moment. Everything just seems better! And when the evening comes to fruition, the anticipation will have made it that much more special.

Now, as the pessimists (or “realists”, as they like to call themselves) would say, this anticipation can just set me up for disappointment if things don’t go well (i.e. sick baby, bad sushi, brass section out of tune), or even if they do, what am I going to look forward to tomorrow? Is there not risk associated with allowing yourself to hope for what can be? I guess that the answer would be “yes”, but the more important question deals with one’s source of anticipation. Mine is well stated in Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” In other words, there is no risk when your hope is placed on the Lord and what he will do for you.

If you have kept up with us for any time at all, you are probably aware of our family goals. While we know that they are ambitious and demanding, we are passionately pursuing them, confident that God is revealing his plan to us a little bit each day. His direction has filled us with the hopeful anticipation of the future that he has laid out for us. And just like the excitement that comes when approaching something special that we know about, we are living in joyous hope of what is coming next… because God knows about it.

On saturday I bought a small pink blanket with a butterfly on it. Why you ask, since I don’t have any girls? Because one day I will have one, the Lord promised me and this is my “oil jar”, something to remind me of that promise that the Lord will provide. In 2 Kings chapter 4, there is a story of Elisha when he comes upon a widow and her son and they have nothing but a small jar of oil left in their house. Oil was important in those days for cooking and for keeping light in the house. This was a bad situation they were in and so Elisha wanted to help. He told them to go gather up jars, as many as they could find and bring them to their house. So, they did. And into each one they poured the oil and it kept filling each jar until all the jars were filled. Imagine if they had not heeded Elisha’s words and gathered any jars? They would have no oil. But they did gather jars because they believed what Elisha had told them would happen. And as a result, they were blessed with the oil they needed.

I have this pink blanket as a reminder to myself that God has promised us a daughter and He will fulfill that promise someday. In the meantime, I am believing what He has said and preparing for it by stepping out on faith and buying this blanket. Glenn and I were in Target on Saturday when I got the idea to buy this blanket. Glenn had gone off with the big boys to look at some video games and I was wondering around looking at stuff. I, originally, was going to buy a doll, but not knowing what ethnicity this little girl might be, buying a doll can be problematic, who knew there were so many choices. I didn’t, I have not been into the girl toy section, in many years. But I just knew the perfect thing would come to me, if I just kept looking. And then I saw this beautiful pink blanket with a little butterfly on it. Butterflies are signficant to me ever since I was pregnant with Elijah. Before we got pregnant with Elijah, we had suffered two miscarriages, so when I got pregnant, I was worried it would happen again. The pregnancy was filled with issues with my health and his, but each time I would worry God would send me a butterfly and that would let me know He was in control and not to worry. So, when I saw this blanket with a butterfly I knew it was the right item to get.

After picking out the blanket, I then had to go back to the video games and explain this to Glenn. I started out by saying, “I know you will think I am crazy..”. He was very understanding about it and indulged me. I think he could see I was on the verge of crying in the middle of Target and he would like to avoid that, I am sure. So, I have this pink blanket. It is a reminder to me of what God is going to do. It’s a step of faith and I know God sees that. It brings me hope and comfort. I would have to say it’s more for me than for my daughter, I am sure, but I know she will someday treasure it also.

Are you putting out your oil jars expecting God to do something big? He will reward you, if you step out on faith.