Expect Good

When the box, and all its contents, crashed to the ground, I didn’t even turn to see what happened. My first thought was, “I knew that was going to happen.” I mean, I had stacked the box, full of paper, pens, cards, and clips, on top of plate that was stacked on top of a planner that was stacked on top of….you get the idea. It didn’t surprise me because in the back of my head I was expecting it.

The idea that I knew it was coming, that I was just waiting for it to happen, made me think about expectations. So often when something difficult arises, or a situation turns ugly, or negativity pops up, I am not surprised. I expect that to happen. I don’t always know when or where, but I let myself harbor worries and fears that the other shoe is going to drop any minute.

If we turn that idea 180 degrees, however, we have the opposite. We have the expectation that something good is going to happen. We wait to see the good come out of any circumstance. We rejoice when it occurs, but we are not surprised because we knew it was coming.

The realities of the world have caused many of us to expect the bad far more than the good. If we look for the bad, we will surely find it. The same is true for good, we will find what we seek out. Today I am thankful that we can choose to wait for, and expect, good. We can know that the sun will rise and that it will be gorgeous. We can know that there are people who love us and people whom we love. We can know that there are people out there doing amazing things for each other. We can know and trust that God will bring all things together for our good. (Romans 8:28) We can know and trust that God is able to do more than we could ever imagine – for our good. (Ephesians 3:20) The worst event in the history of mankind was the day Jesus was put to death on that cross, and yet, it became our greatest source of joy when He rose again.

Today, or at least in this moment, I am going to expect amazing, wonderful, kind things to happen. I am going to seek out that which causes joy. When I find it, and I will, I will thank my God who is the giver of all good gifts, and I will celebrate it. Already today, I have had quiet time to think and process (I am a huge fan of quiet time – just ask my second graders), I have enjoyed going through a package sent by a dear friend, and I have been able to spend time working on a Loved Bible, which is one of my favorite activities in the world. The rest of the day will not be perfect, but I guarantee there is good to come, and I’ll be ready.