Expectancy > Expectation

I have been thinking a lot about the difference of those two words and how they played out in my life.

I can easily say that my life has not gone like I expected it to. How about yours?
There has been specific situations that I walked into thinking one thing was going to happen and not only it didn’t happen but the complete opposite occured.
Then there’s the over arching expectation for my life as a whole that I had put into action, whether through dreaming out loud or just in my mind and heart, that my life has looked nothing like.

When I go to Red Robin and order the Double Tavern Burger I have an expectation that I will get a Double Tavern Burger. If they came out and put a salad with chicken in front of me, I would say, “I’m sorry. I didn’t order that” and they would replace the salad with my burger.

But life is not like that. We may have had an expectation of growing old together with our spouse, or we would have that dream job we tried for, or have not been expecting that diagnosis and how radically it changes our lives.

Life can change what we “ordered” or not bring what we are expecting to happen with no apologies, refunds or bringing the right order.

In those moments of loss, betrayals, set-backs, disappointments, heart broken, tear-filled days and nights we have the unique opportunity to wait with expectancy on the redemption of our suffering.
~ just a quick spoiler… that probably will not look like what we think either.

John 11:1-6, 17-44 tells the story of Lazarus. After hearing about Lazarus being sick, Jesus says: “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

There are times in our lives that make no sense to us but God will use it to bring Himself glory through those messy parts in our lives.

Mary and Martha both said the same thing at different times: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died”
How many times have we cried that same sentiment out to God? If only You came through for me with _________. If only You healed ___________. If only You __________.

Jesus replies to Martha with this assurance, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Mary and Martha are looking at this situation in a completely different light than Jesus. They are mourning the loss of their brother, knowing that they will never hear his laugh or feel his hug again.
They wanted Jesus to explain the pain, make it right or not have let it happen at all.
But Jesus is after something much more personal and closer to our hearts.

Jesus wants us to see how much He is with us in the suffering by allowing us to see His suffering.

John tells us that Jesus was “greatly troubled” and was weeping with Mary and Martha.

In those moments of loss, when what we expected to happen doesn’t, we can often feel that Jesus doesn’t love us and that we are alone and abandoned in our hope. We can allow that disappointment to shroud our faith with hopelessness and we risk holding that against God and His love for us.
Which will have us keeping score.
”Strike one, God. You didn’t come through. Two more and I’m outta here. You cannot be trusted with my heart, my dreams or my future.”

Later in the story Jesus says to Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” He then prays and Lazarus comes out still wrapped in his grave cloths. Then Jesus says: “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Where in our lives are there “dead places, rotting dreams or decaying hope?”*
Do we believe that God can use this for His glory? That He can say to us, “Come forth!” “Live again.” “Unbind him.” “Let her go.”

Can we wait with expectancy, not putting any expectation of how it’s going to turn out or what it will look like, and just let God do His thing and be glorified in our life - through the suffering - the disappointments - the set-backs?

Can we trust HIs fierce love for us? Can we rely on His faithfulness regardless of what we see?

In thinking this through, I learned that my expectations of what I thought should have happened, wished had happened and mourning what didn’t happen are huge contributors to my disappointments in serving Him, hurts from unrealized dreams, feeling unseen and unloved by God that causes distantance between us.

I needed a mindset shift.
It is because of His love for me that I got a no or not yet. It is because He wants to move in and through my life, that He has allowed difficult things so I can declare His glory and faithfulness.

“You never cry alone. Jesus weeps with you for every loss in your life,
and Jesus rages with you against the night.”
~ Ann Voskamp

We are never alone in the loss or the fight. Jesus is with us!

Jesus asks us, “Did I not tell you that if you believed…”
What do you need to believe Him for? Where is there a loss or a fight you need Him to be with you?

What would happen in our life and in our hearts if we sat with eager expectancy and allowed God to show up how He wants, do what He wants, when He wants?
Do we dare take Him at His word and believe that same resurrection power that raised stinky, rotting Lazzy can resurrect areas in our life? Are we open to it not looking the way we thought or dreamed, but trusting HIm and His love for us?

I’m going to work on that! Do you want to join me?
I hope you have the most amazing day, Loved of God!
All My Love ~
xo Jodi

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*Taken from “Loved to LIfe” by Ann Voskamp