Unfullfilled Expectations

"The biggest factor of a poor me attitude is unfulfilled expectations."





Yep, that's what I thought too.  I first heard that quote a few years ago.  Of course the minister who spoke it didn't stop there, but continued expounding on it.  I wasn't really listening though; my mind heard that quote and took off.  It is so very true, how many hundreds of thousands of times have we imagined what would happen.  Set forth expectations and ideas of what will happen and how it will happen.  I don't know about you, but 99.999% of the time, it doesn't happen the way I expected.  In every day life it's easy to let things slide, life is life, it's constantly changing, we're used to it.  But what about future plans.  Expectations we've set up as children and teenagers?  What about expectations in love and marriage?  How many of you expected to be married by 20? 21? *raises hand* Yep, I most definitely did.  My parents were married the day before Mom's 19th birthday.  May marked their 27th anniversary.  When I was younger I never even considered the fact that I would still be single at 23.  I expected to be married with 2 or 3 children by now.  That's the way it was with Mom, that's the way it will be with me.  Or, not. 

As a child I had lots of expectations.  I had my life all planned out.  As of last year ago the only one of those expectations has come to pass.  I have a great start on my own violin studio.  I should have every right to be upset, disappointed, discouraged, right?  Of course right!  Sure, I can be discouraged for the rest of my life.  That sounds like fun!! Or, I can choose to lay aside my expectations.  Lay aside the desires, the imaginations of what my life should be or what I want it to be and pick up the fabulous plan that God has in store for me.  After that day, sitting in that meeting and hearing my life laid out so plainly in one sentence I choose the latter.  Little did I know God had plenty in store for me that I never in a million years could every expected.  

Who would think that me, or all people would be a counselor/choir teacher/planner at a week long camp every summer. That me, the non-writer of the family, would have weekly article on a blog for single girls and help edit/compile a monthly magazine for children.  Who would ever think, that because I AM still single I would be able to help and encourage other single girls younger and older that myself.  All of these things are aspects of my life that were never expectations.  But I love and enjoy every single one of them.

So, what do you do about it? Well, for one thing, when I start imagining things, I stop myself, and say it is in God's hands and then pray that everything will be God's will.
Psalm 62:5 says: My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.  Let your expectations come from God.  Remember: For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 9:11 And you know what... the one thing that I keep thinking over and over, is that I need to be deeper in God, allow His will to become my will, His thoughts my thoughts, His desires my desires... John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.