Expectations
Have you ever woke up in the morning with certain expectations of the coming day? You tried to be thankful for the manna of the day and then started the work that was before you only to quickly encounter attitudes and interruptions that you hadn’t mentally prepared for? When I start my school day expecting everything to go well, imagining that children will be eager to work and cooperative. What if everything goes awry? Children are instead of energetic are slothful, instead of happy and willing, sour and uncooperative?
It’s great to employ positive thinking, but when hit with negative circumstances, what happens to my attitude? Sadly, sometimes it goes down the drain. When faced with statements like, “I just can’t read that fast,” I remarked on the question of evening plans, “What will you be doing? Well at this rate, you will still be doing your school work for today at age twenty-five?” Do these kinds of sardonic remarks produce happy fruit?
Right now, I am trying to change gears and change the atmosphere in my home for the rest of the day after my epic fail earlier. Unfortunately, Moms do not get an attitude pass for the day. We cannot send ourselves to our rooms when we feel too overwhelmed by our own inability to maintain a positive attitude. How do I handle being met with opposition at every turn, especially when it comes from the very children I expected to impress with my spiritual maturity?
What is the answer?
First of all, I have to stop wrestling with flesh and blood.
The Bible says:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12
It’s easy to think that our enemy is right in front of us, instead of some unseen invisible source. When a child is poking me with a spear of smart remarks, it is tempting to poke him back instead of stopping to pray. The struggle is sometimes within me, not with the child, do I have the self-control and maturity to act right even when he doesn’t?
Before I sat down to write this, I prayed that God would help me by the power of His Holy Spirit. While writing this, I have helped several children with various subjects, math, grammar, history and thankfully the Holy Spirit has helped me to respond graciously to questions (even off topic such as, ‘do you think I could parachute into the garden of Eden?”) I am thankful that the mercies of God are new every morning and afternoon. Even when my perfect expectations are met, God’s perfect plans can still be accomplished.