dailydatewithgod

In recovery, I learned about the role of expectations.  How they keep me out of the moment I am in and in the realm of imaging how I want things to be.  They often keep me at a distance from acceptance and can lead to resentment.  Whether it is expectations of myself, others, situations or outcomes, learning to adjust them to reality is my key to freedom. I have also learned the distinction between expectations and hope.  An expectation is my mind’s fancy way of shoulding on something.  Whenever I am in the “shoulds”, I am not in reality.  Hope is the realm of the heart.  Placing love at the forefront prompts hope.  I can still bring love into a situation by accepting it for what it is instead of expecting it to be different because I hope it would be and then being let down. Hope is believing I can make adjustments to my behavior and not tear myself to pieces because I expected to act differently than I did.  Hope is trusting that all will turn out exactly as it needs to for everyone involved without expecting things to go my way because I believe it will all end up badly if it doesn’t. Expectations are a valuable tool in helping to bring me back to reality and see it with love.  Expectations are a sign that it would help to let things go and hope in the power of love even when things don’t show up the way I think they should.  God invites us to hold on to the only expectation that matters . . . expect love to win.