Great Expectatins

Do you ever just want to be understood? Ever long for someone to look at you in your weakest moment and say I understand? Oh I do!!! I am a weak sinner just like everyone else only I have an added curse. I have been through the fire on many occasions in my life due to other peoples sins. That is my added curse. The enemy has given me plenty of opportunities to blame my short comings on someone else. God's word says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), everyone, me included! But when I mess up or things get overwhelming my flesh wants to say, Lord I am this way because of such and such.

Maybe you can relate to that. So what are we to do when that happens? Well, we come to a CROSS roads and we have a choice to make. Will we continue to let other peoples sins of the past cripple us, or will we lay down our pains and ask God to heal our hurts and help us to rise above what makes us weak?
I lost my temper this morning at my children. I yelled because we were running late for school. My phrase to them over and over was, "you make me crazy!" I thought about how hard my life is now that I am a single mother and how unfair it is of God to take away my husband who is half responsible for these children and leave me to handle everything. All the cleaning, all the cooking, all the worrying, all the bed time routines, all the crying, all the planning, all the failing, all the sicknesses, all the responsibility is all mine now.

Yuck, who is that whinny person in that last paragraph? Where did all that come from anyways? Ah yes from my..."Great expectations". We all have them. We all think about how great it would be if only so and so understood me, or if I could just be self sufficient then I wouldn't need help from anyone! I expect greatness in myself and in my friends and family (no pressure guys) even in my very young children. Praise the Lord God knows our frame! He knows we are just dust and He says, "Come to me all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matt 11:28). He never expects us to have it all figured out! He never says to me handle this all! I say it to myself and the enemy makes me think I should be able to handle everything and that other people should understand me and know how best to help me. Forgive me! How wrong of me to think like that.

God loves me, so much that when life overwhelms me He says, "Tell me about it." And when I need more strength He gives it to me. When I need forgiveness for something stupid I've said or done He gives it to me. When I make the same mistakes over and over again for years and years knowing God has shown me the way to over come these mistakes and choosing instead to repeat the sins of the past, God still loves me and waits patiently for me to come to Him. God listens when I cry and He never says OK that's enough I can't stand your crying. Though I have probably said that to my kids before. Ouch!

Such love, who can know it? So what does that have to do with my expectations? Well perhaps I was just placing these "Great Expectations" on mere mortals when there is a God who can live up to all of my greatest expectations?

God thank You for your word! Thank You that when I have a bad day I can come to You and receive rest and comfort and strength and forgiveness and peace. What a great love you share so freely with us.
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Rise Up <<<< Click here to hear some awesome encouragement by Thrid day.