Day One

Genesis 1:1-2 

I remember the births of each of our children and the emotional rollercoaster that led up to those moments. I remember the excitement of wondering what they would look like. Would they look like Amy, me, or one of our parents? What color would their hair and eyes be? Would they have long fingers fit for the piano? I remember the anticipation of hearing them say “mama” or “dada” for the first time and being there to witness the first time they turned over, crawled, ate real food, took their first step, and ate ice cream. The fear of being a father to someone so helpless also weighed on my mind often. How would I ever be able to care for this small human being? I felt so terrified, unsure of myself, and unprepared. The day of their births came, and all these emotions were bubbling up inside of me until I held them for the first time. At that moment, all those emotions faded away as I looked into their eyes. Suddenly, all was calm, and all was right because I was with them, finally. Anticipation gave way to incarnation.

From the beginning, God the Father planned the foundations of the world. His Spirit hovered over the surface of the waters, anticipating the moment of creation. John 1 tells us that in the beginning, the Word, Jesus, was with God, awaiting the moment of incarnation, knowing that the fulfillment of His relationship with us would come when He became Emmanuel, God with us.

The triune God has existed from the very beginning, preparing for us to arrive in the creation plan and anticipating the relationship He would have with us. As we begin this Advent season, let’s remember why He created us in the first place—for relationship with Him.