Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: DRIZZLE (03/05/20)
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TITLE: Great Expectations | Previous Challenge Entry
By Sandra Hartman
03/12/20 -
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The problem is we put our own expectations into our hope rather than seeking what God would have for us. What we expect and what God has planned for us may be two very different things. Why? Because God knows what is best for us. His desire for us is to grow in faith and grace and walk close to Him. Yes, He often grants our expectations, but He sometimes doesn’t.
Many times, we forget that when we gave our lives to God we relinquished our control over our lives.
What I am going to share with you is a true story.
Some years ago, when my husband was the bus director at our church, we were able to attend the Bus Convention in North Carolina. We live in the Midwest and I have a real love for the ocean. When I realized we would be somewhat close to the ocean I was hoping to go there after the convention wound down.
My Expectations were way up there. Surely God would make this trip to the ocean possible. He knew I didn’t have the financial means to travel often so this was my chance. But it was not to be. After the convention ended my husband thought it best to return home.
I am not one of those people prone to anger; but I am a great pouter from childhood up. One of God’s biggest challenges with me in the early days of my Christian life was to get me to stop throwing endless pity parties. So, you can guess how this expectation denied affected me. I was in total pout and pity mode. Woe is me. As we traveled back on the interstate; we were in the process of passing a very dirty truck. I looked up and saw written in the dust on the back “Jesus Loves You.” Did I mention I have a tendency to sarcasm? Well my response was ‘Seriously? Not looking that way today.”
And we did not have just one encounter with that truck. Oh no. I am one of those “let’s stop at the next rest stop” people. So even though we had gained on the truck it gained on us during our stop and there it was again and again. But I was having none of it all the way home and for days after.
I love God and I do want to be right with Him. I know He loves me because He says so in His Word. God in His wonderful lovingkindness and patience, dealt with me in many ways, in the months to come about my poor attitude. I began to surrender more and more to His will and less and less to mine. After a season of getting right with Him, we again went to the bus convention.
This time I was determined to have the right attitude and praise God whether I was able to go to the ocean or not. I was willing to submit to God’s will in the matter.
This time we were able to go.
You can imagine my joy at this answered prayer. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day until we got closer to our destination. Clouds enveloped us and a light drizzle began. I looked out at the dreary landscape and for a moment I was tempted to complain. This would not be that expected sunny day at the beach. But I was quickly reminded that I left this whole situation in God’s hands and He knows best. So I resisted the desire to complain. It didn’t turn out so bad. Because of the weather we were the only ones there. We were able to enjoy a brief walk. We even found a perfect seashell.
On the way home the roads were wet from rain but as we traveled the sun came out in all it’s glory. I looked up and saw a beautiful rainbow and looked down as we were about to pass another truck and there on the back the rainbow ended. I think God was smiling and so was I.
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