Through the Seasons

Unexpectations

I’ve been thinking a lot about “unknowns” and the “unexpected” lately.  I comfort myself with my expectations.  They give me a feeling of ease and control.  I go around feeling at peace because I think that I know what I can expect in the near future.

Then there are times when things get a little tumultuous and I see the unknowns and uncertainty of life clearly in front of me.  The times when I don’t have enough information to make reasonable expectations.  The times when I’m standing at a crossroads and I’m not sure which way my life will turn because – and this is the most frightening realization of all – I have no control over the situation.

But the truth is…  At any point in life the unexpected can (and does) happen.  It can be little things like Asher waking up early from his nap or dinner burning and having to change plans.  It can be big things like getting in a car accident or inheriting a fortune.  In reality, all these expectations I make every day are uneducated guesses.  They are assumptions.

I look back at the big, sudden turns my life has taken and realize that many times the way I envision my life on any given day can be abruptly changed.  One of the best surprises I ever got was finding out I was pregnant with Asher.  It’s funny to remember where I was immediately before taking that test.  Oh I knew exactly what was going to happen with my life.  I had it all planned out.  Then.  WHAM!  Everything changes.  I wouldn’t have had my original plan for anything in the world at that point.  Little did I know that God had such huge things in store!

And it’s that way now.  Even when I can’t see the road in front of me and I can’t secure myself to my faulty expectations of the future.  Even in the midst of uncertainty.  I rest in three things.  One, God knows everything and is surprised by nothing.  Two, God is in control.  Three, God is good.

And in those facts should come my security, hope, joy, and peace every single day – not just in times when I loose my footing.  I love the Psalms where God is portrayed as lifting us up out of a hardship and placing us down on a solid foundation.  He is that Rock.  And on that Rock I stand.