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Ohhh I have such a love/hate relationship with expectations
I don't have any kind of solution in this post, just so you know. It's just be venting and frustrated. Haha. Seriously though. If you can help me, please do.
I know I shouldn't have expectations. But for the life of me I cannot figure out how NOT to. We plan a date night. Stephen gets called in to work that evening. Expectation = dashed. But it wasn't wrong of me to expect and look forward to the date was it?
This happens all the time. At least with books and movies I've learned to expect nothing from them, but in real life.... that's just different. I'm not sure how. I wish I knew! But every time something doesn't go according to plan, I have a hard time with it. I try to be flexible but I can't help looking forward to things.
Granted, I'm always OK later, but the initial onset of emotions when I find out is unsettling. I suppose by now I should be used to my emotions, but they make me feel at their mercy and I know that's not true. Gosh that is a whole post by itself.
Anyhow. Then there's the party expectation. I expect to go to this event and have a good time. Or, I expect to have coffee with my friend and it's going to be edifying. When those are disappointed it's the same thing. I kick myself for creating these expectations. But I didn't even mean to create them!
My husband has a special power. He can not create expectations. I'm not sure how he does it. Maybe it's part of being even keel and carefree. Hmmmmm....
So yeah. That's it. Just a rant, like I said. Anyone else have issues with this or is it just me?
Heh. I feel your pain. One of my favourite quotes is "expectation is the root of all heartache", except I can't work out the not-having-expectations part. :/ To not have expectations though feels like not having hope to me, and God wants us to hope; to look forward to the good things, His blessings. I think disappointment is okay, it's just what we do with it that counts. When our expectations are dashed, we do get to choose our reaction. We can be disappointed and bitter, or we can choose to surrender it to the Lord. Sometimes even just naming it as a sacrifice in my head can make me feel better about it, because sacrificing my own will and my own desires for the sake of God's will is what we are called to do. So I guess my answer is that I play mind games. ;) But a lot of the time they tend to work. Hope that helps somehow.
ReplyDeleteI like that, the attitude of sacrifice. I'll remember that next time. ;) Yes it helps, many thanks!
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