Hope vs. Expectation. A common conversation among my friends right now. How do you hope for a future spouse, new job, new opportunity, or any “hope/dream” in a healthy way without a specific expectation?
Often I’m scared to pray about something without ceasing bc I fear it won’t be answered therefore it’s a stupid waste of time hope and expectation. Sometimes I admit it feels silly and honestly useless to pray for the same thing every day and yet it doesn’t seem like God has answered my prayer. But maybe it’s just because he hasn’t answered yet or he has and it’s just not what I expected his answer to be. Can anyone else relate?
Last night my devotional asked the question: “How in the world should I respond to what God is doing?” -Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies. Well that was a kick in the butt bc yesterday I did not respond well to a few things. Hebrews 12:11 says “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
If I look back on my life and think about trying moments and seasons, while they were hard I can also confidently say they helped shape who I am today. They absolutely had purpose and I see God’s hand in it. “How in the world should I respond?” - for me - that’s remembering God’s hand IS in everything. To let go of fear, control and anxiety and acknowledging that God IS doing something even if I don’t know what it is. My hope is not reliant on what I think should happen but expectant that God is always good.
In other news: I’m hopeful for some sunshine in what has felt like a month of rain, but have low expectations and am kinda glad for an excuse to binge watch Hallmark and Harry Potter.
Outfit details: tank, jeans, neck scarf, shoes, purse
