Don’t you love tax refunds? My wife and I always get our taxes done as early as possible so we can put the refund to use, usually to pay for property taxes. Funny, we receive our tax refund to pay more taxes—only in America! Anyway, those few weeks after we send our tax returns have become weirdly hopeful, because we have spent years tweaking our withholdings knowing (hoping) a good chunk of money will come back to us. Simply put, we make plans for what has yet to occur. Consider things with larger horizons, like our children. If you have children, have you ever considered that every instruction you give them anticipates something? You may tell your son to wear a helmet when riding his bike, because you are anticipating his safety. You may tell your daughter to work hard on her homework, because you are anticipating her success. You may tell your teenager to clean his room because most potential wives are NOT anticipating a “slob” for a husband. You plan for what is yet to occur, but these plans are built on something. They are fueled by hope. You may tell your daughter to work hard on her homework, because you are anticipating her success. You may tell your teenager to clean his room because most potential wives are NOT anticipating a “slob” for a husband. You plan for what is yet to occur, but these plans are built on something. They are fueled by hope. John’s vision is for his family—his proverbial children—to grab ahold of a future hope that enables them to live differently now. He knows that Jesus’ incarnation and glorification to the right hand of the Father are not only foundational events behind them, but they have also triggered seismic and hopeful implications for living life cemented in God’s imminent future with His “children.”