In the WaitingSample

EXPECTATIONS and WAITING

How many times have you been disappointed by expectations that were not met? I know I can say it has happened to me more often than I thought it would! Perhaps it was the job I REALLY wanted but did not get, or a meal I prepared was not as delicious as hoped, or a relationship did not pan out in the way I had hoped or prayed it would. Expectations are things we all know, hear, and see all around us. We grew up learning about expectations from a very early age, and many of them shape how we act and interact with the world around us.

Now, imagine the garden when Jesus is arrested and all the parts that unfolded in those next hours. Imagine how the disciples felt on Friday after Jesus died on the cross. Or on Saturday, when everything was silent, and they wondered if everything they thought they knew might not be true. The expectations they had built up for what it meant for Jesus to be The Savior most certainly could not have included Jesus' trial, crucifixion, and death. Imagine how uncertain and fearful they felt in those moments. What they expected their journey with their Savior to look like suddenly took a very different turn.

And we can often find ourselves in that same place as the disciples on those three days, on a journey that looks nothing like we expected, feeling uncertain and alone.

Ask Yourself:

-What are you waiting for? What words describe how you feel while you wait to hear God’s voice?

-Does your posture and perspective in the waiting look the same today as they did last month or last year, or years ago? How have you grown more patient? How have you grown more weary?

-God sees you in the waiting. How will you look for God’s goodness in the unexpected?

Pause to Pray: Lord, thank you for always looking out for me. For loving me enough to sometimes answer my prayers with the words “not yet.”Help me to trust you enough to put my own expectations aside and walk beside you on the journey you have created for me. I want my heart to be aligned with yours. Guide me to that place of waiting. Amen.

Take a Next Step: Waiting is especially hard when you do it alone. Invite a trusted friend or mentor to do this reading plan alongside you or set up a time to share your journey with them. Consider asking them to pray with you and for you in this season.