Great Expectations

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Great Expectations

2 Corinthians 12:9.“. . . [Jesus] said to me, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

Dear Kids,

I am the kind of person who develops great expectations. I have done this all my life. I have big dreams about how things should be but those dreams are often dashed when things do not turn out as I expected.

I remember dreaming about being a mother. In my mind’s eye I could picture our sweet family sitting down to a delicious and healthy dinner, talking about the day, and sharing wonderful insights about life. All of my darling children (that would be you guys) would sit quietly at the table listening intently and adding to the conversation with enthusiasm and joy.

That lasted until Luke was born. One by one you came and our dinner times became the craziest hour of the day. If Dad even got home from work on time, my meal was often thrown together and everyone was so tired that usually at least one child was sent up to his or her room to recover a better attitude. To my chagrin, we weren’t a perfect family. My high flying hopes were dashed and I wondered what I was doing wrong.

Years have passed and I have come to realize that the issue was not necessarily that I was doing something wrong.  Sure, Dad and I certainly weren’t perfect parents. We simply had the wrong expectations. Life is not always a neat little package that we put together in our minds. Though it is ok to have dreams, we need to be realistic and not get discouraged if they don’t turn out exactly the way we planned.

I have also come to realize that there are two things that we can expect without disappointment. The first one is trials. God tells us over and over in His word that we should not be surprised by the painful trials we will suffer as if something strange were happening to us. Instead we should rejoice to participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that we may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.

The second thing we can expect is that God’s grace will be sufficient to help us through these trials. His power works best in weakness. When we give up our own plans for the future and entrust everything to Him, His power will work in and through us. His plans for us are not to harm us, but to give us a hope and a  future.

So go ahead and dream, but always remember that there are only a few sure expectations. You will experience trials in this life, but when you commit yourself to God, His grace will be all you need. As you see His power work in your weakness, you will begin to joyfully boast in Him –  because when you are weak He is strong.

Love,

Mama

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Hi, I'm Sandy! 

I write inspirational letters based on the Bible that share words of hope, encouragement, truth, and healing to my children and anyone else who longs for a mama's touch.

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