For example. I LOVE to cook! LOVE it! I am fairly confident that what I cook will taste yummy, but it never seems to look like the picture in the magazine!! I mean, this is theirs:
How in the world do they make it look so easy? I can follow the recipe and they will taste good, but they never quite make it to the Southern Living standard of appearance!! Casue this is mine ...
What about the cookies that crumble?
and those that are too thin and get brown around the edges?
If I'd never seen the picture in the magazine, would I be happier? Not gonna lie, I don't like cookbooks that don't have pictures. I set myself up by wanting to see what it should/might/could look like. I mean, don't you? Same thing with life. Somewhere I get in my head an idea of how things are supposed to be - EXPECTATIONS ... and then my pleasure or disappointment is not so much based on what happened (or didn't happen) as it is on what I EXPECTED to happen or not happen. Anybody else out there got that problem? For example, I'm not expecting to get a check in the mail ... and voila one comes ... excited, even if its $10!!! I AM expecting a check in the mail ... is it what I thought? Did it come when I thought? Whether or not it matched myexpectations determines my response. Even with people. I expect you to act in a certain way, when you don't, it's not necessarily wrong and I really have no reason to be ill, but I am, because you (not knowing my expectation) didn't meet it and I was disappointed. Not so fair, huh??
But its not just about cookies or checks or even human relationships ... it happens in our relationship with God as well. Honestly, what do I expect from Him? to make me happy? to give me what I desire? to do what I think will best glorify Him in a situation? to bring healing? to answer me today? And what happens when HE doesn't act according to my expectations. Gonna be honest. There just are things I don't understand in life ... a cancer diagnosis a week before Christmas, a godly couple struggling in their marriage, couples without babies, singles without mates, losing jobs, losing houses, death before it's "time" ... How much does my expectation of what God should do influence how I feel about those circumstances? Of course I want Him to protect those I love from illness and injury from hurt and disappointment. I go out on a limb and pray BIG things, God-sized things and sometimes I am disappointed. I know, we've all heard that it's easier to keep your expectations low and be surprised that to expect something and be disappointed. It's true. But does that mean we live half-empty existences where we never expect anything good would come our way? I don't think so.
Even Solomon in his great wisdom got it when he said,
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."(Proverbs 13:12)
We are made to house expectations and to hold out HOPE! So where does HOPE play into this story? My expectations may not always be met in this life. But I think I'm gonna choose to expect the best and HOPE for the better .... and stop comparing my cookies to the magazine. I think Mary had the right attitude and mixture of trust, hope, and submission. I mean, if anyone had the "right" to be upset with how life was going, it was little, unmarried, pregnant, virgin Mary. Pretty sure no one believed the whole story about "God's baby" ... and she got the news from an angel? (even Lifetime would have stayed away from that movie) ... She asked, "Hey! How's this gonna work since I'm a virgin?" ... and then her response was the response I desire my life to have every day ...
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1:38)I'd like to live like Mary, holding out HOPE, trusting God's heart, living expectantly ... and surrendering to God's plan in the midst of all of that. I'd like to join her in saying, "I am your servant. May it be to me as you have said" and mean it! Pretty sure He didn't let her down!
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