Expectations

There are many times in life that we expect something to happen and when it doesn't we feel like we failed.  We expect situations to turn out a certain way and when they don't, we are disappointed.  I can't begin to tell you how many times this has happened to me.  

I have found in my life that when I have no expectation things tend to turn out great.  I learned this lesson late in life. I wish I could have told a younger me to relax and just go with the flow.  I was so caught up in expectations and didn't even realize it until my wedding day.  I had the perfect wedding planned out in my mind.  I knew that everything I had seen in chick flicks and what I had dreamt up in my head would just happen.  I mean why wouldn't it?! It's the happiest day of my life so of course everything will go just as planned and be exactly what I expected.  Unfortunately, it did not. Many of the things I had hoped for didn't  happen. There were so many unexpected things that happened that day.  It was still a great day because I married an amazing man, it just wasn't the day I had dreamed. Some things I had no control over like the freezing temperatures and the wind throwing my veil this way and that way pulling my hair out causing a lot of pain. 

I realized shortly after that day that I shouldn't have expectations of things I can not control. I learned to roll with whatever comes my way. Plan for everything and expect nothing.  Appreciate the situations you are in and try to make the best of it.  I tried this new way of thinking with the birth of my first son.  I told myself before hand that anything could happen and it is ok.  As long as we are both healthy in the end I will be happy.  It worked!!  Hearing his first cry and holding this sweet baby boy in my arms was unreal.  It was truly a miracle!  I didn't think about what could have went wrong or what did go wrong.  I focused on the little miracle in my arms.

I've learned to take it each day at a time and enjoy what the Lord has blessed me with.  Live each day to it's fullest and do the best you can.  You can't control everything.  Somethings you have to let be and see what happens.  As long as we are trying our best the Lord will appreciate our efforts. He doesn't care if we take 1st place in a race or cut our hair a certain way.  He loves us for who we are and who we are striving to be.  Do what you can do and learn to let go where you fall short.  We will fail at times but I believe it's the attitude we have when we pick ourselves up that counts.

Questions to think about:

What do I expect of myself?  Do I expect things of others?  Do they know I have expectations?  Are my expectations realistic?  

Family Home Evening Ideas:

Does the media set expectations?  What kind of expectations do they show?  Why are expectations sometimes unrealistic?  Can expectations be realistic?  Discuss these questions with your family. Talk about how expectations will be a part of life such as in school, home, work, etc.  Go over expectations you may have as a parent for your children or as a spouse to a spouse. 

Follow up from previous months:

Have you stopped and appreciated some moments in your life?  Take a minute this month to reach out to a loved one.  Let them know you care and are thinking about them. I bet you will just make their day.