In His Likeness w/ AntTBri

The hardest day of the year for me as a child was Christmas Eve.  To know you have presents under the tree WITH YOUR NAME ON IT and not be able to unwrap, look at, engage or enjoy them until a designated time seemed like cruelty to me.  And to make matters worse my mom would stay up all night filling stockings, putting gifts out, and preparing for Christmas so we would have to WAIT until she woke up before we could go downstairs as a family and open gifts.  But what I hated most was sitting there as she called names…it takes a long time to call the names of 8 people gift by gift in no sequence.  Christmas Eve no longer taunts my existence…it took some time but I finally persuaded her to allow us to open a gift of our choice before we went to bed on Christmas Eve.  Thus introducing my family and I to the concept of a Preview Party.  Despite the stipulations or regulations attached to how we would do Christmas some of the anxiety in waiting was alleviated.   I could get to sleep faster, and wake up with a smile because I had a glimpse of what would prove to be a host of gifts just for me (eventually). God is going to gift you above and beyond your greatest expectation if you faint not.  Keep believing, keep trusting and doing what you need to do today because tomorrow will take care of itself.  God got you and He got that…no worries. Enjoy the preview.

Life and love on lay away can be very frustrating…parallel to the dilemma of an anxious child waiting for Christmas on Christmas Eve.  The almost phase seems to be the hardest phase to navigate…not quite but almost yours. Not as long a wait as before but none the less still a wait.  It seems you can taste the belonging, touch the exact area of longing within, and all you are able to do is feel the desire building.  Sometimes it feels like peek a boo or now you see it now you don’t…none the less the preview encourages, excites and engages us in the process of time. It’s not that we are not grateful for every experience and expression before the preview or knowing…it’s the struggle of now that I know I’m getting it…I just want it now impatience.  We have to intentionally balance the excitement and exchange of preview…and steady ourselves while we wait.

There are people who could live without commercial breaks, advertisement, and previews.  Is that a derivative of impatience? Rushing through the moment?  Are these person ill prepared for what’s up and coming?  Do they not appreciate being prepared for what’s to come?  How do they buffer excitement, or contain emotions if they don’t have a clue?  There are so many benefits to attending or viewing the previews…if for no other reason it gives you something to look forward to…you’re able to ponder on what to expect…and everything won’t be a total surprise…which is advantageous to the human heart. Is this the advantage of having a lasting, loving and living relationship with Jesus Christ?  Is He the answer to everything wrong with life and love?  Are the things we experience and express as we live and love a preview of what life and love in Him will become?

Life and love in His likeness affords us the opportunity  to preview the vision…God does not reveal the entire picture, package, or process but He shares just enough to keep us believing, trusting, and moving in the direction of promise.  He’s sweet that way (yeah Jesus).  He is the best gift giver and we will not outgrow the thrill of receiving His heart toward us.  He creates, sanctions, and releases His love toward us in increments of time…piece by piece and then SUDDENLY the picture, process, PARTY is on and popping. God is into the details…he orchrastrates things beautifully.  Just like our earthly parents… He observes our behavior, disposition, and heart posture in the wait, Christmas Eve like experiences of life. He is often the associate accounting for life and loves transactions…recording payments of faith, steadfastness, and integrity. The preview, promise, and party of the Lord are yes and amen!   If someone was to sing the Christmas song that reminded children…Christmas was coming would they find you being naughty or nice?   Unlike, our parent’s and sale associates God is not invested merely in providing a toy, clothes, shoes or services for us…He is invested in our character development…he will withhold the gift…or keep the gift…until we are able and ready to receive and maintain it in the right mind and heart posture toward him (the gift giver), ourselves (the gifted), and the gift itself.

A Preview Party is not the party…it’s a preview of coming events, gifts, presents intended, planned, purposed just FOR YOU.  You get to glimpse, sneak a peek at the sentiment, thought process, and effort to secure your smile.  You’re given just enough to get you thinking, excited, enamored, and expectant of what’s up and coming.  When I was young it developed to appease my request.  It was done to alleviate the jitters, worry, and even struggle of wondering what and if I was getting anything… wanted, hoped and wished for.  As I’ve grown and mature…meanings change and are improved upon so let’s just say Preview Parties are meant to give us a gentle hint or nudge while we wait on manifestation, fruition, fulfillment and the promises of God.  Gods preview party reveals the theme of his heart towards you…so if this worked for me as a child on Christmas, just imagine how much more it developed for birthdays, or just because He wanted to occasions? Thank God for prophetic vision and that He shares His secrets with his friends…it don’t get no better than that.  I’ve learned to enjoy holidays, birthdays, and occasions in process.  I’ve learned how to wait on God and I’ve been sustained by His Spirit because he preface all life and love events with a Preview Party that is not expected, anticipated, or dependent upon what everyone else was saying and doing for me at the time…its signature God’s heart toward me…specific and significant to my need, desire, and request.  God gifts us with what He wants and knows we need for both our living and loving in His likeness. The blessing that will add to you…that will usher you into greater increase is up and coming…just a few hours away…don’t forget, forsake, or fraudulently miss the benefit of the preview.  It shall be better than the preview…it shall be the actual PARTY.  Be prepared to receive and celebrate each days acquisition…you will say…” God it was well worth the wait thank you for the Preview Party” ~AntTBri