Peaks and Valleys
Have you ever waited in anticipation for something, and when the time finally came, it didn’t turn out the way you thought it should?
I recently had the privilege of going on a once in a lifetime fishing trip to Alaska with my dad and my brother. You could say that my expectations where exceptionally high for this trip. The three of us had been planning and anticipating this trip for almost ten years, saving every penny to make it happen.
Now, if you’re thinking that I’m going to say that we had an awful trip, then you’ve never been to Alaska. It was absolutely breathtaking. From the snow covered mountain tops, the rapidly flowing crystal clear waters, to the multitude of majestic wildlife around us, there was nothing to be disappointed in.
But yes, the fishing itself was a little different from what I expected. Remember, I had the last ten years to paint a picture in my mind of how every second of this trip was going to look like. In reality, I had never even been to Alaska. Did Alaska disappoint? Not in the least. Going fishing down the Kenai River one day then fishing the Kasilof River another was perfect. Not to mention fishing for giant Halibut, which was absolutely incredible. But, for me to be able to experience it with two of my favorite people, my brother and my dad was beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Even though my unrealistic picture of fishing in Alaska was a bit skewed and unfair, I had the time of my life.
If you’re wondering what my unrealistic view of fishing in Alaska looked like, well, don’t laugh, it was this….Me, fishing just off shore wearing hip waders with giant grizzly bears on each side of me taking turns pulling up fish. “One for you, one for me, one for you, one for me…..” My reality was actually that we fished from a boat with a two fish a day limit and it took all day to get those two fish.
I’m not complaining, because, as the saying goes, “a bad day of fishing is better than a good day in an office”. The truth is, we never had a bad day of fishing. While my expectations were unrealistic, every day was actually quite extraordinary.
Expectations can be high or low, reasonable or unreasonable, good or bad
Our expectations are not always correct because of flaws in our logic and the bias of hope and desire. Sometimes, we “get our hopes up” based on a false idea or a misreading of the evidence. Often, we may form our expectations automatically, without any effort. Our expectations can bleed over into any area of our lives.
When it comes to my relationship with Jesus, my expectations are high based on my knowledge of what His word tells me. Romans 8:39 states that “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
There may be many things in this life that will disappoint you but Jesus and His love for you isn’t one of them.
I know of too many people who have low expectations for Jesus because of their skewed facts and or faulty logic.
One thing that I know and the Bible encourages, is that those who trust in the Lord SHOULD expect good things from Him. “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.” (Psalm 62:5).
You see, those who live in the fear of the Lord have this promise from Proverbs 23:18: “There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” The godly are justified in having great expectations.
So set your expectations High, because Jesus will only take you as far as you are willing to let him.
Written by, ProStaff Kevin Ratliff
