Expectations #4: Make sure they rooted in reality, all of it.

Our Expectations Need To Be Firmly Rooted In Reality. Sometimes That's Much More Than We Think.

It's Good Friday, here on Guam, where I live and work. As I have often done, over the years, I'm preparing for Easter on Good Friday, so my thoughts are jumping ahead. Before I make that leap, though, I want the reality of Christ's death, the event we remember on this day, as well as the ugliness of the world we live in--both sides of the globe--to sink in. A quick survey of the four Gospels indicates that there is no doubt that Jesus was dead. Matthew records, "Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit." He goes on to say, "Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb . . . and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. (Matthew 27:50, 27:59–60) Mark gives insight into Pilate's thinking. It hadn't been a pleasant day. He didn't want anything else to go wrong. "Pilate wondered if "He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead." (Mark 15:44) Luke assures us that there were many witnesses. "[A]ll the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts." (Luke 23:48) John records the cruel efficiency of the Romans. This wasn't their first crucifixion. On this day because of the impending Jewish Holy Day, that would begin at sunset, they needed to hasten the death of the crucified men, "So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out." (John 19:32-34) Make no mistake, Jesus was dead. That was the reality that Jesus followers had to deal with. What could they expect now? I'm not looking for sympathy, but the reality of the ministry in which I'm involved is pretty dark. We struggle against some tough realities. As I am typing, Kathy is sharing in my right ear about a friend of a friend who just took her life. We are praying for a family, whose loved one died in a tragic wreck. A fine pastor just resigned, because he is fighting cancer. The reason I am in this job is because my predecessor, a wonderfully capable leader, found out that he has T-cell Lymphoma. As Cornelius Plantinga so eloquently reminds us, this world is "not the way it's supposed to be." I don't know the nature of the particular darkness you are facing, but I know you are facing it because you live in this dark world. It was in the early morning darkness that some women made their way to the tomb where Jesus was buried. In a perverse twist of the knife of darkness, there hadn't been time to properly prepare Jesus body for His burial. Mark and Luke report that the women were on their way to the tomb, bringing what they needed to finish the task that had been cut short on Friday evening. "Where are you women going?" one might ask. "We are going to Jesus tomb." They would sadly reply. "Joseph and Nicodemus didn't have time to properly embalm Jesus' body when they took him down from the cross. We are going to finish the task." "Is that all?" "What else is there? It's all that's left. It's all that we can do, and it's what we must do." The reality of a world, where nothing is really as it should be, a world that "lies in the power of the wicked one," who has freedom to go where he will, and seemingly power to do as he chooses (here), presses in on all of us. That's one reason I've been telling you to not expect too much. Don't expect what you, or someone you trust, can't control. Don't go all Mickey Mouse in thinking that this world is a machine where you put dreams in one end and happy endings come out the other. I admire these women. Not only were their feet walking the road in Israel, they were firmly planted in reality. They were almost right--ALMOST. Stick a fork in it. It's done. Put a period on it and go on. It may not be what you want, but it's as good as it gets. These women expected to properly embalm their Rabbi's body and then go on with life--to live in the new reality that His death had thrust upon them. They had put a lid on their expectations. In doing so, though, they put the lid on too soon. Just a few minutes beyond our imaginary interview they were confronted with a shocking revelation that rocked the real world. Jesus wasn't dead. Jesus isn't dead! and that reality continues to rock the world that you and I live in. Make sure that your expectations are based in reality, but make sure you include all the reality in your expectations. Have a blessed Good Friday and Easter. It's STTA.

Expectations #3

Expecting something I can't do anything about or that I can't trust someone else to care for is just trusting in luck.

"I expect you to . . ." "I'm expecting nice weather for the picnic six months from now." "I expect to succeed in my quest to win the lottery." All of these are dangerous expectations. Expectations that are related to hard work that we do to bring those expectations to reality, can be powerful motivators. When we trust someone and know that they are willing and capable of bringing what we are expecting to reality, we can lay claim to a peace that eludes those who have no anchor of hope in the future. Saying that we expect that which we can't control, and concerning which we have no dependable promise, can lead to great, even catastrophic disappointment. One can draw beautiful plans for castles built on clouds, but when one tries to lay a foundation on vapor, expectations, no matter how tightly held, or strongly believed in will not support an edifice of reality. Expect what you have a right to expect. It's STTA.

Expectation #2

I could go on. I could play background music from Man of La Manche. We could all "dream the impossible dream," "fight the unfightable foe, and so forth, but in the end, we would still be stuck with the same reality we started with.

Frequently, armies go to war expecting to win, only to return, if they return at all, in defeat.

Young men go forth with dreams of matrimony, expecting to father children with the woman of their desire, but come home broken-hearted, wondering if the jeweler will take that ring back.

Before my positive thinking friends jump all over me, I want to say that the attitude with which we face a task, especially a big, hard task can give us energy--perhaps enough energy to get us over the threshold of success. A few years ago, I wrote about the "Little Engine Who Could," but in that piece, I really said more about the power of negative thinking--power to keep us stuck where we are--than about the power of expectation, or positive thinking.

The reality is, a good thing in too strong a dose or in greater quantity than is prudent, can be a very bad thing. Expectation is such a thing.

Expectation is not a magical formula that guarantees success. It has no power to conjure up the result that one expects. If expectation is part of the motivation for us to put in the hard work that is really the prime ingredient of achieving our goals, then expectation is a good thing, a very good thing. Expectation, though, is no substitute for perspiration.

Walt Disney achieved a great deal. Many of his dreams, big dreams at that, did come true, but, "If you dream it you can do it"? 

That's Mickey Mouse.

It's STTA.

Expectations

I read an interesting article about expectations. It got me thinking.
Jordan Peterson is a young man. One could make the point that most of his life is in the expectation column. Me? Not so much. At this point in life I've seen a lot of hopes dashed, plans that failed, schemes that went awry. You would think my advice to the young would be along the lines of an old saying that Peterson quotes, "Expectations are the enemy of contentment," or as I have put it, at least partly in jest, "Lower your expectations and you won't be disappointed as often." The fact is, I don't believe that or recommend it. I see too many young people with no dreams, stunted hope, and terribly limited plans. And, the world is full of cynical oldsters who have decided that they have been burned too often by the white-hot heat of expectation. "Never again," is their motto.

What we need is a way to manage expectations. Clearly, it is foolish to expect the impossible.

Dreaming about spreading my arms and flying like a bird is not productive. If I spend my time dreaming about soaring with the eagles, a reasonable expectation is that I'll end up being food for the buzzards. On the other hand, living life with a view no further than the next step I take on my boring, treadmill existence is a hollow caricature of the life God intends for us to live. Like so many things in life, we need balance concerning our expectations. Let's think about it for the next couple of days.

You can expect more.

It's STTA.

"Apples of gold in pictures of silver"

Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.

I'm not sure exactly what a picture of Proverbs 25:11 looks like. Maybe that's the point. I checked some resources, one said, "gold apples set against a silver sculpture or carving, or like a gold earring or other ornament.* Another, "either real apples of golden color, in a silver network basket, or imitations on silver embroidery."** I don't know Hebrew and so I can't decipher the precise meaning. A look at various translations shows a variety of ideas. Could it be that all of that precision is beside the point? That what we are being confronted with is something of exquisite beauty, something in which the color, the preciousness of the materials, the balance, symmetry and aesthetic appeal are breath-taking? Something that to look at is to feel a pleasure so intense that it approaches pain? Have you heard such a word, a word fitly spoken, advice that is timely, a thought distilled into communication that absolutely hit the spot, and caused you to give an, "Ahh" of satisfaction? Such words are rare. They are to be treasured. That well thought out, carefully considered, properly framed, "I love you," especially if the precious metal of the words has been refined by patience. An, "I'm here," without needless explanation, in particular when the actions in which the words are contained leave no doubt that this is from someone who is there for the long-haul. The words can be wrapped in temporary pain. Their short translation is, "I love you too much to let you do this. You may hate me for saying this, but I love you so much that I'm willing to take that risk."*** In my imagination, I see Solomon in his royal palace, some extravagantly beautiful work of art before him, contemplating a well-chosen word. He thought, meditated, gazed at the thing of beauty, and said, "Yes, that is what it is like." Three thousand years later having heard such a word, I say, "Amen." The well-chosen word that fed, and continues to feed my soul, is a carefully chosen, brief exposition of scripture. It fit the occasion. It was delivered to meet the need of the hearer, not display the ability of the speaker, and it penetrated into my heart to meet the need of the hour in my life.   Lord, as one who dares to speak words on Your behalf, may they be the right words. Guide me Holy Spirit, so that what I say will be valuable not only now, but for eternity. Amen STTA ________________________ *Walvoord, J. F., & Zuck, R. B., Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 960). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. **Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 400). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. ***Proverbs 27:6

Doing Something Causes Trouble

It's impossible to make progress without making waves.

. . . in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.  Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.  I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;  I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.  Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:23-28) What an outline for a novel or a movie. How was it that the Apostle Paul managed to stir up and bring on himself so much trouble? Basically, it was because he was doing something. He could have gotten a job as the curator of ancient manuscripts at the University of Tarsus, he could have been a popular blogger on the Parchment-sphere Network, or found a nice quiet synagogue and taught people. The Apostle, though, was driven to do something. In Philippians 3 Paul says he had been apprehended by God, and he had not yet apprehended the reason he had been apprehended. It's not an exaggeration to say he was driven. Some accused him of madness--an accusation that was also leveled at Jesus--Paul replied that he was controlled by love, the love of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:13-14).  The good life isn't a life of leisure. The good life is a life worth living, and a life worth living will have its measure of trouble. STTA

War--or the aftermath, thereof--Lasts a Long Time

Kathy and I just watched the movie, The Darkest Hour. It is about Winston Churchill. My dad would have been fifteen years old when the Prime Minister of England made some of the speeches depicted in the film. Dad later fought in that war. It was a long time ago. Just this last week, though, a crew of young people was cutting brush and cleaning up some property, here on Guam. In that same war, one of our ships fired a shell in the battle to retake this island. It lay unexploded until this week. The clean-up crew found it, they called the Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit, and more than seventy years after the shell was fired, more than forty years after the lone holdout of the Empire of Japan surrendered, that shell finally exploded. No one was hurt. War lasts a long time. That observation is not only true about wars between nations but about those personal battles we fight with evil without and within. I'm not foolish enough to think that the men and women of that WW2 era were perfect. They clearly weren't. Yet, there was a resolve about them we can learn from. They spoke of "monstrous evil," and days "that will live in infamy." The horrors of war were fresh in their memory, yet they had the wisdom to see the horror of surrender to evil, as well. They left behind more than unexploded ordinance, fields scarred by bombs, cemeteries marked with gleaming white crosses, and ships at the bottom of the sea. They left me a world filled with freedom and opportunity. Lord, as I face the battles before me, may I do so, realizing that I will bless, or curse, those who come after me. Give me the wisdom to choose what is right. Amen. It's STTA.