Prayer of Abandonment

Father, I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.

Let only your will be done in me,
and in all your creatures –
I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you Lord,
and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands,
without reserve,
and with boundless confidence.

For you are my Father.

Charles de Foucauld

I’ve been thinking about gift giving lately. Go figure, right?

As I’ve thought about giving gifts and receiving gifts, I’ve also thought about the word anticipation. I think anticipation should be a major component of gift giving and receiving. It’s like an essential ingredient to the whole process.

The dictionary definition is “to look forward to; to be before (another) in doing something; expect, hope.” If we lack anticipation in our giving and receiving, I think we miss the joy involved in the process. Anticipation creates suspense, which creates positive tension. This tension finds exhilarating release when the gift is fulfilled.

So in some small way, I’ve experienced this idea of anticipation as I’ve given my small gifts to friends. Through the process the questions have come to mind: How much do I anticipate the greatest Gift of all? How much am I anticipating the Return of the King? How much am I reveling in the Gift He has given? And the fulfillment of the Gift when we are reunited with Him?

How much anticipation do you have? Are you allowing the time necessary to create the anticipation? Are you enjoying the process, waiting with excited patience, knowing that the seemingly delayed gift will be sweeter with each passing day between now and the time you receive it?