Anticipation: from fear to wonder

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.                                                   Luke 2:8-10 NIV

I love unscheduled happiness like 'I wasn't expecting this' kind of happiness.                   Anonymous

I don’t like heights.  During park ranger search and rescue training, I climbed and rappelled out of necessity, unlike others who enjoyed it. A few years ago, I planned a hike to Upper Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Point.  No one on the trail app mentioned the small portion of the very end of the falls trail traversing a rock face directly above the TINY rock platform with a thousand foot drop directly below the platform. Well, maybe it wasn’t exactly tiny, but it seemed so to me. Ugghhh.  Gripping the anchored chain and watching each step on the narrow ledge carved into the rock face, I reached the viewpoint and was rewarded with stunning views of the falls, valley, and mountains. Indeed, it made me start to get excited to continue hiking to Yosemite Point.   In just a few moments, my anticipation went from fearful to eagerly joyful.

If that was my reaction to a stunning natural view, imagine the shepherds—a marginalized group—encountering an angel on a dark night. Though terrified at first and fearing disaster, the angel reassured them and shared miraculous news.  In moments, terror was replaced with wonderful anticipation!  

Reflect on an occasion in your life when apprehension was transformed into lovely anticipation.  Life is full of surprises!  Never grow too old or skeptical to feel wonder!