I expect.... expectations

Expectations.. I expect we all have them. I expect we all expect others to have them. I also expect that we expect others to meet our expectations before we meet their expectations. I expect our expectations are not the same as other people's expectations which should cause us to expect some trouble. Whew, I expect we should reconsider our expectations in light of this expectation trouble. I looked up expectation in the dictionary, I expected a clear definition and here's what I got: "The state of expecting, either with hope or fear". What did I expect? Sheesh! Maybe a definition that doesn't have the word as the definition? Is my expectation unreasonable? Maybe, maybe not. Expectations can be healthy such as expecting someone to get up every day, eat, go be productive at work or school, etc. While others may be unreasonable like you need to make me happy. I mean really, can you make someone else happy every day in every way? Then there are the hidden expectations, you know the ones we keep to ourselves and expect other people to figure it out, respond or behave accordingly, and allow us sovereign decision making on the actual sufficiency of the effort made. Hypothetically speaking, IF we were to practice hidden expectations in our daily lives, hypothetically it might be a problem. We might be the problem. Let's just stand back and consider where do our expectations lie and are they beneficial to us alone? Are we being reasonable? Are we being fair? Are we considering the other party's perspective? Or their expectations? I expect we have a mixture of these expectations. So what can we expect from all of this? To have our expectations met sometimes, not met other times, and (if you're willing) an adjustment in our expectations that may include change, lowering, or even...gasp... letting go of some of our expectations. I expect this will not be easy but hey, what did you expect?

Between Heaven and Earth

One friend bringing new life into the world while another friend fights for her life. Such a tenuous balance. There is joy and agony, laughter and tears, struggle and victory. The one thread that weaves through both situations is hope. We have a blessed hope, my sisters in Christ and I. We place our hope in God's sovereignty, His plan, and His timing. Trusting that nothing is wasted in God's economy, that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. So we celebrate and grieve with peace in our hearts. We continue living on earth but heading for heaven. So we live, between heaven and earth, knowing we are firmly in His grip.

Regrets

The two sides of regret - the doing and the not doing.

1)Not doing: that sickening feeling that a person feels when they realize that they missed an opportunity to do something and didn't take it

2)Doing: that sickening feeling a person feels when they realize they said or did something they shouldn't have said or done.

No matter which side of regret I fall on, that feeling can be like a wave crashing over me. Can you relate? Unfortunately I have felt both sides and with the same results... miserable feelings of regret. It is so easy to get stuck in that place, living in the past and reliving our sense of failure (whether perceived or real). May I encourage you today to look at these experiences through the lens of scripture?

Romans 3:23 tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." But praise be to God that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9

One of the redeeming qualities of life is that we don't have to live in the past, we can make amends and move forward to make different, better decisions. God knows our frame, that we are weak and sinful yet He has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Himself: through Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection.

So next time you begin to get swallowed up by feelings of regret, remember that God has already made a way for you to be restored and get on the right path again.