Expectations and The Unexpected
Expectations and The Unexpected
The Expected
My happiness grows in direct proportion to my acceptance,
and in inverse proportion to my expectations. Michael J. Fox
What are your expectations? Do you have expectations of God – or is that called faith? Think of the lyrics to the hymn: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness . . . On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” Isn’t standing on that rock faith?
Earlier this month Pastor Leanne posted this question on this blog, “What if resurrection is something we experience now? My guess is that we all have some kind of expectation (or hope?) of what resurrection will be like. What do you think about the concept that you could experience resurrection now?
The Unexpected
In life we do experience disappointment; Shakespeare wrote:
Oft expectation fails, and most oft there where
most it promises. William Shakespeare
Do we expect too much? What happens when something is unexpected? Surprise? Concern? Fear? Joy? Praise? Love? The unexpected can be either positive or negative – or even just unexpected with no judgment or major emotion applied.
Ponder this:
If you do not expect the unexpected you
will not find it, for it is not to be reached
by search or trail. Heraclitus
Heraclitus (c. 500 BC) was a philosopher from Ephesus who, while little of his writings have survived, is said to have said that “You cannot step into the same river twice.” This was prompted by his theory of “flux.” Think about that for a minute. Isn’t that how we discover the unexpected? We are stepping into something that is continually moving/changing (in flux). And, by the same token, can two people step into the same river? Does your brain hurt yet? Mine does!
“Expect the unexpected” – Hmm, what does that mean to a Christian? What was your unexpected reaction to a praise song or a hymn? What was it that unexpectedly caught your attention this Lenten season and as we followed Peter in our Lenten series? I might disagree with Heraclitus and say you have to be on the trail, you have to engage with a searching mind. We do benefit from some curiosity. What say you? (Please comment below)
From a member of our CPC Men’s Fellowship comes this meditation contribution about God’s plan for us and about expectations . . .
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
“I can’t see it. I can’t hear it. And I can’t even imagine what beauty, what music or what experience is coming. It is beyond me, but it will be mine. Thank you, Lord, for surpassing all my expectations and preparing what will fulfill my life. I do love you. I shed tears of thankfulness for all the ways you have blessed me in the present. You have birthed in me a uniqueness that I often do not know how to live out. You have awakened me to the incredible beauty and bounty of this earth. You have rescued me when in trouble and protected me when vulnerable. So if the future is so much better, I am seriously blessed.” Anonymous
As you think, consider, pray or meditate, what is your conclusion about the unexpected or the expected? Which will you pray for? I pray for both!
Praying for you,
PB
Community Presbyterian Church
32202 Del Obispo
San Juan Capistrano. CA 92675
949-493-1502