When I first told my friend PH about this wonderful new church I found, with such wonderful people, and such a wonderful staff… etc, she said:
-“That’s great honey! But, you need to make sure that you are there for the right reasons, and don’t put anyone, especially the church leaders, on a pedestal! I can tell you from personal experience that you will be very disappointed, if you do…”
At first, I thought “Gee! Thanks for the support!” But looking back, I am really glad she said that, because knowing me, I probably would have gone a little overboard, and ended up being really hurt and disappointed over something insignificant. I love my church, and respect everyone there, but I also know that despite all their efforts, they are only human... I talked a bit about trust issues in the last reflections, but I forgot to mention that I have learned to trust completely in the Lord, and here is HIS promise when I do:
“Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.” Isaiah 49:23
It doesn’t say that everything I ask for will be granted if I trust in HIM. If that were the case, I would be happily married to some rich celebrity (ideally Adam Levine from Maroon 5!), or at least have working A/C in my car.... Instead, I think it says that I will not feel disappointed when things don’t turn out as I expect. It's not about systematically rationalizing what happens in my life, it's about trusting the plans God has for me, even through (what I consider) failures. Wow! That actually sounds pretty deep-jk
Again, this is easier said than done. I get disappointed, even when I set low expectations. A few weeks ago, one of my best friends drove down from KY to see her parents, and we made tentative plans to catch up while she was here. I didn’t really have high hopes, because she has three adorable kids, and I know it's hard to make plans when you have so many people involved. I still have to admit that I was really sad when she didn’t call me by the following Monday, which is when she was supposed to drive back home. Things didn’t really turn out the way I wanted that weekend, but it also meant that I was able to go and help out at an outreach event…
Setting lower expectations not only means that I don’t get too disappointed when things don’t work out, it also means that I get great surprises when they do! I know I can make it through any situation, as long as I have God by my side… It's easy for me to forget, but I always try to remember that:
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love HIM.” 1 Corinthians 2:9
EED
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