Expectations
Another unfulfilled expectation: today, March 6th, dawned bright and sunny, and I arose expecting a spring day. Much to my disappointment the back porch thermometer said -19 f at 7:30 am. Well, I am one that believes spring starts the first of March and expect each March day to verify my belief. After all it’s sugar time and calving season, and the sun is higher in the sky and the birds are coming back. But 19 below with a hard west wind is not spring weather.
All this got me to thinking about expectations and disappointments. We humans have this capacity to think ahead expectantly and because of this ability often create mental scenarios that fit our expectations. Contrarily, for the most part, animals don’t seem to have the same abilities. We have a cow ready to calf in the barn. I fully expected it to happen last night but, this time, was not disappointed that it didn’t, because it is just too cold for a new wet and shaky calf to have a decent chance on life. Momma cow seems indifferent to the possibility and apparently takes things as they come. Anyway, expectations can be a problem especially when they dont’ happen just right. We expect family gatherings to be times of social bliss and are often disappointed when a disagreement over whatever, and there are lots of possible whatevers, spoils our expectations. Or how about the person that said they would call us, then neglected to do so, or the job which you expected to complete today was interrupted by some other need for your time and you were disappointed. The list is endless and failure to meet our expectations is sometimes a daily occurrence.
I expected my wood pile to last the winter but it hasn’t, expected my dog to dwell in peace with our cat but he doesn’t, expected, expected, expected. Even the TV is constantly telling us we deserve it. Another expectation and set-up for a letdown. Did you ever yearn for release from expectations? I have and lately have been cultivating the habit of lowering my expectations so that I am not disappointed or even surprised by a better result than I had prepared myself to experience.
What does’ the Bible have to say about that? Some pertinent verses I have already put in other blogs but how about this one: ” rejoice always, pray without ceasing: in everything give thanks for this is the will of God”. I guess that’s about attitude. Could it be that a grateful and right attitude is more in keeping with how we are to live than with expectations? Could it be cows know things about right living that we humans have to learn the hard way? Think about it.