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“Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” Psalm 33:22 (ESV)

It was a spur of a moment decision with great expectations.  My son Chris, who lived in Arizona, was flying back from Israel and had a three hour layover in Charlotte.  Many miles had separated us for some time, so I jumped in the car and drove three plus hours to the airport so I could take advantage of his layover.  My mom joined in on the fun, and we arrived early – didn’t want to waste a single moment.

Sounded like the perfect plan, but we failed to expect the unexpected.  My son’s flight was greatly delayed in arriving.  Further delays occurred while getting through customs.  When we finally caught a glimpse of his face, Chris had only ten minutes before he had to board his flight to Arizona.  The unexpected left us totally disappointed as we got back in the car and drove three plus hours back home.

How have expectations robbed you over the years?

I’m sure like me, you’ve experienced a lot of moments when what you thought was going to happen simply didn’t.  Our emotions are soaring high with anticipation and then the big let down takes all the air out of us.  Deflated we land frustrated, angry, sad, disappointed, numb…you name it we feel it.

So what’s a girl to do when the emotions of the unexpected steal our joy?  To be totally honest that drive home seemed longer than the drive to the airport.  But somewhere along the way, we transitioned from devastated to laughing at the irony of the moment.  We gave up a whole day for ten minutes and the best hug ever.  Would we do it again – absolutely.

Despite all the disappointments and unexpected robbers of our joy, we can place our hope in God.  We can cling to the truths of God’s word which exceeds our expectations.  He never disappoints and He always works even in the midst of our own misplaced expectations.  We can trust His perspective to give us clarity and reignite our joy as we navigate through moments when the unexpected seeks to slay us.  We can release our unmet expectations in prayer and receive His peace.  Bottom line – the best one to rely on when life simply doesn’t deliver what we envisioned is our faithful God.

“Father  help us to resist the temptation to be overwhelmed, defeated and negative when faced with the unexpected. Rather teach us to place our hope firmly in You.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life