Just what did you expect?

     We find ourselves in situations that either meet, exceed or fail to meet our expectations practically every day of our lives.  You do it and so do I.  It hasn't changed over the centuries.  We have nothing new to report on.  Yet, we seem to have different emotional and intellectual responses.  There is a difference between the two just as there is a difference from each person's point of view.  Teenagers everywhere talk of their love for this and that ranging from clothing to puppy love.  It's their point of view.  They in turn view the adult world from their particular view and see how out of touch adults are.  We adults watch our children and see ourselves 20 (more like 40) or so years ago and wonder if we will survive their growing up.  Point of view is something taught and learned rather than intuitive or by instinct.  Babies instinctively have the desire to attach to the nipple and expect a reward for that instinctive move.  We know instinctive (and bodily) when to go to the bathroom.  This was a combination of learned and intuition.  We have this innate desire to be loved, accepted and approved by those around us.  Deeper still we have this innate desire to be loved, accepted and approved by God.  What happens when we don't get the love, acceptance and approval?
     Love, acceptance and approval is supposed to be about who we are and not what we do.  Christians get that mixed up thinking that they are love accepted and approved by their works. This is learned and certainly only from fellow Christians.  We've made the simple complex and in the process turned the formula around so that it's not about us but what we do and don't do.  What do you expect from a self centered world?  Jesus comes at us from the opposite direction.  He tells us that we are loved, accepted and approved as his creation.  No other conditions.  He doesn't require anything from us for that love, acceptance and approval he offers from the beginning of time.  He expects us to believe him and to desire the things of God.  We often fail to meet his expectation because we are so busy trying to please everyone but God.  We have all kinds of celebrations and holidays that are full of spoken and unspoken expectations of our fellow mankind.  From businesses to individuals the expectations are piled on this world busying their minds so that they lose focus of what is important.  We expect from the world what they can't give and don't accept what God has offered because of this distraction.  What happens to failed expectations?
     When I buy an item and it fails to perform as promised the expectation level sinks to below sea level.  When I place my expectations on others because of their promises the failure of the unmet promised drops my trust level.  What alters this whole formula are the promises of God.  God cannot fail.  God cannot over promise.  God cannot excuse away mistakes because he has not made any mistakes.  The world has taught us that we can expect to be disappointed.  God has taught us to always trust and hope in him who promises us peace and grace and mercy.  So, when I accept and give away the peace, grace and mercy to others, they are not disappointed.  When I place conditions on peace, grace and mercy on others they know that it's not genuine.  What is there to do?  We can only find love acceptance and approval from God.  Stop looking for them in others or things of the world.  The world and others will never be able to give us what God has given us since time began.  It's your choice...always.