To Have Expectations or to Not!

My husband and I went away for a week recently and during that week I read a wonderful and I feel life changing book. I will leave the name of the book out of the blog simply because it has not yet been sent to book stores. I was definately challenge by the words on every page and I was also captivated by the book. So much so that I could hardly put it down.

So now fast forward to a conversation with a dear friend. We went on a walk just to talk since we both have busy lives and hardly see each other. During out walkwe talked about the book abit. In particular we talked about expectations. Lets face it we all have had expectations or tried to live up to the expectations that others have had for us, or the expectations we preceived others to have for us. Lets take for example when we were all younger and in school. There is an expectation that we will learn the material we need to learn, and that we will learn enough of it to pass. In my home there was an expectation of learning enough of the material to get an A. Once I got one A it was all downhill from there. I was expected to get straight A's. That was an expectation that as really there. I have also tried to live up to the expectations I thought others had of me, only to find out later those expectations were not really there. For example, I tried to be the life of the party and the crazy, fun, yet responsilbe camp counselor I thought everyone wanted me to be. Oiy if people only really knew that I am an introvert all the way. The reality though is that I placed that expectation on me because somehow I felt i needed the approval of the people around me. Truthfully I only need God's approval and guess what I already have it. We all have is approval already. So why do we try so blinking hard to get His approval and the approval of others? We don't need it. I personally think that there are days when I am working over time to gain the approval of others that my Heavenly Dada is shaking His heading wondering when I am going to finally accept that I don't need to work so hard for His approval because I already have it and He may even wonder when I am going to quit desiring for other peoples approval.

However good that all is there is one more though on expectations I want to explore a bit. How often have I put expectations on friendships? Lots let me tell you that. How often have I been disappointed when those expectations have not been met? A whole ton of times. How different would my life be if I stop placing expectations on my friendship, and instead just lived in expectany of relationship and love. Now you may be wonder how can one live in expectancy without expectations? To be honest I am still figuring that out. I think that if I live my life not expecting people to be hear at a certain time, or to be there, or to even fill the void of God at times, I will be a much freer and happier person. If I can just "love on people" (to borrow a quote from a friend. Then we are both free to be who we are. We are all free to be in relationships as who we truly are, with out having to put up the facsade of who we are not. I still have a lot more to think about and I know this blog amy actually not be to clear since my thoughts are still in process I just know deep in my heart that this has the power to transform my life, and my relationships.

Have a gooder of a day, or night to who ever may be reading this!

Blessings, Leanne