Expect Good Things

Expect good things. I know that is easier said than done. Life is a dutiful teacher, reminding us that bad things happen. We will run into hiccups as we reach goals and even the most careful planning will not prevent downfalls.

Keeping positive expectations in my own life is a challenge. I am ever thankful to my daughters for reminding me daily of how powful faith and hope is.

For Christmas my three-year-old got a brilliant orange cape. When we got home she eagerly put it on and went outside to stand in the wind. I asked what she was doing and she excitedly replied that she was going to fly. Her expectations for that gaudy orange piece of fabric were entirely unrealistic but she had more joy as she stood in the wind than she would have ever had if she had simply acknowledged the cape was nothing more than a costume.

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I'm a preparar, a planner. I want my heart, mind, and bank account ready for whatever life throws at me. But among my reasonable expectations its takes courage for me to believe, to hope, in the best. 

Micaela, our 18-month-old baby born premature with extensive neurological damage, teaches me lessons every day. The last couple weeks she has bowled me over completely with what she is doing.

She finally started eating. Finally. After fifteen months of getting all her nutrition from a G-tube (a tube inserted directly into her stomach), she one day picked up the cracker on her tray and began to eat it. And she hasn't stopped. Its hard work for her, but she continues. You can see her excitement and determination.

If we weren't excited enough about that, we have been nearly in tears because she is trying to stand, to bounce, to take steps. She lacks strength, balance, and motor planning, but she is trying. 

My heart rejoices as our hopes are realized.

Positive expectations have a dramatic effect on our world. If I hadn't been expecting Micaela to eat someday, there would have been no cracker on her highchair tray. If I hadn't been expecting Micaela to attempt to stand I would have never lifted her up and helped her touch her feet to the ground.

Is there something in your life that you've lost hope for? A broken relationship? An addiction? A habit? A friend? Do you determinedly lift your chin though inside you steal yourself to face hurt over and over? 

I understand. Having good expectations for our lives takes courage, but until we believe we will lack key strength behind every attempt we make for change

I'm so thankful for my little Micaela for showing me how much positive expectations move our life. I'm going to take a page out of her book and continue to expect good things to happen.

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19