Shifting Expectancy

By, Kolleen Lucariello

I began pondering expectancy after spending a few days last week caring for our two youngest grandsons. While their parents enjoyed a few days of a well deserved respite, Mimi was on duty!

One afternoon, I decided we'd go see the movie, Migration. It's a cute movie about a family of ducks who've never migrated because the father is afraid to leave the safety of their pond. I found it comical to watch four-year-old Grayson, throw his hand up, cover his face, and say, "Well, they're going to die!" at every intense moment of the movie. I consistently had to reassure him that they were going to be okay.

His expectation was shaped by the intensity of the theatrics in the movie. Oh, how I can relate as my own expectations have been conditioned by the dramatics of my own life.

For example:

• Early experiences of our extended family gatherings formed an expectation for every future one.

• An unpleasant encounter created the expectation the next one would be, too.

• The sting of rejection instilled the expectation that any conflict was an endorsement for more.
  

Expectation based upon experience planted wounds within that I see now tainted my expectation of God. Perhaps you can relate? Your life experiences have shaped your approach and expectation of God.

But, oh, what we miss when we see Jesus through the same lens as those who created our wounds. We can expect God to be good to us, because His nature is one of goodness. John recorded Jesus' words that described Who we could put our expectation in.

• We can expect God to be an ever present help in our time of need, because Jesus said the Helper was coming and the Holy Spirit came.

• We can expect to be comforted because He is our Comforter.

• We can expect an Advocate who fights on our behalf because that is who He is.

• We can expect to be prayed for because He is our Intercessor—Counselor.

• We can expect to be made strong in our weakness because He is our Strengthener.

If we are going to #AriseExpectant we must shake off the contamination caused by a faulty expectation lens created through our human experiences. We don't want to view God through that lens—because He's far from human.

We can, however, take our wounds to Him and expect healing from Him. Then, "we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can people do to me?'” (Hebrews 13:6, NET).