Five Minute Friday - Expectation

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One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

live up to the expectation

high (or low) expectations

adjust your expectation

********************

Do you have high expectations of all the things you'll do during the holidays, and how good it's going to be, and then when it's all over you realize you didn't check even half the things off your list? Or perhaps worse, you did check almost all the things off that list, but it didn't meet your expectations of how great it would make you feel. We have a tendency to set ourselves up for disappointment with impossible expectations. 

My expectations come in the form of how organized I'll be "this year" and how I'll have the house decorated beautifully and start early on Christmas cards and gifts and baking. Why will this year be any different? How will I become a well-organized person this year, when I've never been particularly good at planning ahead and sticking to the plan? 

I still try, I still do my best to get the tree up and decorated early in the season and not leave gifts until the last minute. I do make some plans, but I've adjusted my expectations. I've celebrated enough holidays to know - at least in my head! - that having everything neatly compartmentalized and meticulously planned does not necessarily mean it will be perfect or make everyone happy.

The expectation that Christmas will be storybook perfect and everything will go as planned, and all our dreams will come true is not based in reality. Things don't always go as planned, and I've had to learn to take that in stride. I know that comes more easily to some of us than others, and because I'm NOT a detail planner, I am more comfortable with that than some of my friends and family members.

Instead of expecting the parties, props, preaching, or people to bring joy and fulfillment, we need to put our hope in God. He who fulfilled all the promises about the Messiah when he sent His Son to be our Emmanuel will keep all his promises. When we base our expectations on God's promises, He will meet every one of them. 

My soul, wait silently for God alone,

For my expectation is from Him.

~Psalm 62:5~

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.

~II Corinthians 1:20~

*******

The LORD is good to everyone.

He showers compassion on all his creations.

All of your works will thank you, LORD,

and your faithful followers will praise you.

They will speak of the glory of your kingdom;

they will give examples of your power.

They will tell about your mighty deeds

and about the majesty and glory of your reign.

For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

You rule throughout all generations.

The LORD always keeps his promises;

he is gracious in all he does.

The LORD helps the fallen

and lifts those bent beneath their loads.

The eyes of all look to you in hope;

you give them their food as they need it.

~Psalm 145:9-15~

This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Expectation".

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