Great Expectations

Great expectations.

How much of our life do we spend daydreaming? Honestly, I dream of being Joanna Gaines (Fixer Upper). Heck, I'd even take the goats and chickens. And although I couldn't withstand another Texas sauna errr summer, to me, her life is ideal. She is ideal. But she is not me and she is not the reality God has for me. And on my not so shiny days, when I note all the ways I don't measure up to her, I completely deflate and defeat myself. My self talk ain't no pep rally, let me tell ya! Recently in a cooking group I'm in, we did a really funny thread and my laptop froze on a GIF of actor, Ryan Gosling. Not sure I've watched an unanimated movie in the last decade but I know that he's been in some notable chick flicks. Those characters sure seem ideal, don't they? Without fail, they always do and say the right thing. Heck, they even apologize when they're wrong....always....with swoonworthy perfection. Now I know we're in lala land! The thing is, while I'm sure Ryan is a nice guy, he's not real. Most of what he says and does is acting. Faking. Not real. Our expectations of him have no basis in reality. Wah wah.

Ramble alert.....bring it home, Karen. Our expectations are lovely ideals but they're not always based in reality. Today, examine your expectations. The standard by which you measure yourself, your husband, your kids, your everything. Ask yourself if those expectations are realistic. Ask yourself if your disappointment over those unmet expectations is realistic. Spend some time in prayer today. Don't lament to God about how it's not supposed to be this way but ask him to open your eyes to the way it's supposed to be.