Are you Expecting?

What are you expecting to happen in your life? We all have expectations for our lives. But often we don't give voice to what we expect to happen in our lives.  Expectations are unseen hopes and desires that can either drive us to despair or lead us into a deeply meaningful and satisfying life. The national language of Pakistan is Urdu. The phrase to describe a pregnant woman is "Umed Se" which literally translated into English would be "With Hope". I love that phrase. To see someone filled with hope... and life is so encouraging and intriguing... we are drawn to hopeful people.

Expectations flow out of our beliefs about life. The book of Hebrews in the New Testament describes it this way, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Heb. 11:1)  What we hope for, imagine and desire often appears over time as we move in the direction of our expectations....our dreams. Even in the physical realm there is a natural waiting period to the birth of child. A child is conceived in a mother's womb and for 9 months the child grows in a protected environment prior to being released into the place of full visibilty.

When our souls are healthy and nurtured by love, our expectations remain hopeful in spite of times of disappointment. Think of that word...disappointment...which reveals the necessity to surrender our concept of the "WHEN" of life's dreams and desires. Every great expectation involves a timetable of patience and waiting. Listen to this wise counsel again from the book of Hebrews, "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." I am so glad that I have not received everything I have expected in life thus far.  So many times my expectations have been shallow, selfish and sensual.  If we got everything we wanted, when we wanted it, we would most likely be dead before our time! Confidence about our expectations flows out of being in the right place, at the right time, for the right reasons.  Expectations are spiritual and subject to the condition of our souls.

  When our hearts are right, our expectations begin to flow with the plan that God has established for us to live out from day to day.  When our hearts are darkened by selfishness we get lost and set ourselves up for the destructive cycle of cynicism and despair.  Cynics are dream killers. They have faced disappointment and come to wrong conclusions about life. The cynic has reached a dead end in the road of self will... and wants to call others down the same road of darkness and despair. They need to discover that dead ends do not need to be the end.  A dead end is in fact a huge opportunity to turn around and move in the direction of the light at the other end of the tunnel.

  Listen to this amazing promise ...... this amazing expectation that God would have us move in the direction of, " For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, says the Lord." (Jeremiah 29:11,12)

  What are you expecting?  Have you stopped dreaming?....afraid to fail?...afraid of being disappointed?  Hope is spiritual. Faith is spiritual. You can't separate your dream from the God who put you on the planet.  I have really good news.... God gave you that dream and wants to walk with you on the pathway toward fulfilling your deepest hopes in life. Be that hopeful person beaming and smiling even in the face of life's times of waiting and preparation.  God's grace and love is there for you right now.  Open your heart and receive the hope you need today.

Jim