WR staff encouraged us to blog about our expectations for The World Race, all the while challenging us to let go of our expectations. Why????
…because expectations are a dangerous thing.
Most times in my life that I’ve had expectations, I’ve been let down. I set expectations too high, often without realizing it. Sometimes, I didn’t even realize I had expectations at all until they weren’t fulfilled and that crummy feeling of disappointment took over. Other times, I expected all the wrong things. For me, expectations and plans very quickly become the same thing. I’ve had so many perfect plans for my life and God turned them UPSIDE DOWN. Do you hear me? Literally, upside down. Nothing in my life has gone exactly according to my plan. There’s a perfect reason for that…
This verse really began speaking into my life in the last two years. Everything seemed awry until I learned to trust in Him, to surrender it all. This isn’t something I’ve mastered by any means, but I’m learning. Plans, expectations, goals…they’re futile. God has a plan that far exceeds what I could even conceptualize. When I first began planning (there’s that word again) for The World Race, I became so excited about working with victims of sex trafficking in Thailand and orphans in Uganda. Then in an a-ha! moment, I realized that may not be what God has for me at all. There may be a completely different ministry that He already has planned for me in those countries. Maybe we won’t go to those countries at all because…
So I’m letting go of my expectations, of my plans…and giving it to God. No more specific expectations for my Race. I don’t want my experience to be muddled with the disappointment of unmet expectations. I want to be open-minded and allow God to use me in ANY way He sees fit and have accepted that it may not be in the ways I had originally planned.
That being said there are a few more general expectations that God has put on my heart. I fully expect to be changed forever. I expect to live in authentic, intimate, godly community more than ever before. I expect to become a better wife. I expect to be uncomfortable. I expect miracles. I expect to really learn patience for maybe the first time ever. I expect to cry every time we leave a country as they keep a piece of my heart with them. I expect God to invade my heart and use me to bring His Kingdom. I am waiting in holy anticipation of all that God has for us!
