Friday, June 8, 2012

five minute friday: expectation

We place expectations on people every day.  We are a culture that demands excellence and we place our expectations too high.  Way too high.

Which ultimately leads to disappointment and hurt feelings and broken hearts.

I found myself in that place this week.  I had set the bar.  And it was way higher than I should have hoped for.  Apparently.

I spent most of that particular day wallowing in my disappointment.  Stewing over my hurt feelings and recounting all the ways that I do it differently.  Better.  Right.

And yesterday, I starting hearing this whisper in my soul.  I tried to ignore it, at first.  But it was persistent.

'It's not all about you, Jessica.'

Even on June 5th.

Hmmm, ouch.  Big ouch.

I started camping on God's expectations of me.  And how often I miss the mark.  How often do I not live up to His expectations?  How often do I disappoint Him?

Yet, how often does He extend grace and mercy to me for my failure?  My oversight?  My forgetfulness?

Today, I choose to consciously focus of the expectations God has of me.  And I choose to place less expectations on others.  And when I am faced with disappointment of unmet expectations, I choose to extend grace and mercy.  Because Heaven knows, I need grace and mercy too.

"I pant with expectation,
    longing for your commands."
Psalm 119:131 (NLT)

2 comments:

  1. I definitely feel you on this! My expectations of myself, and everyone around me, are impossible to meet. It's hard to remember that in the moment, and instead offer grace. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Oh, that verse speaks to me today. Thank you!

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