The Renovating Reverend

Opportunities and expectations. They can be tough to get a handle on. Opportunities can present themselves at the most surprising times, and they can be missed when they are disguised in a cloak of misfortune or disappointment. Expectations can be described as inflated or unrealistic, and sometimes they can even be said to be too low. Since beginning the renovation of our house, I’ve been reminded on a daily basis that, even when one responds to an opportunity with what seem to be realistic expectations, there is no guarantee of a smooth process or an ideal outcome.

When I think about people who are written or spoken about in holy texts—of Jewish, Christian, and other faiths—I realize that I’ve got a lot of company in the struggle with expectations. From time to time, everyone seems to have expectations that don’t match up with the reality of a situation. Jonah expected God to wipe out the town of Nineveh when the residents of that city did not respond to his call to return to a life mindful of God. Some of Jesus’ disciples hoped that Jesus, as the Messiah, would drive out the Roman army of occupation so the Jews could return to being self-governed. I don’t think we have to go much further than these two examples to get the message that the least healthy or least realistic expectations are those we build on our idea of what God wills, of how God operates. Jonah didn’t understand the depth of God’s grace. Some of Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand that the scope of Jesus’ ministry went far beyond their own place and time. They had trouble comprehending that their understanding of God was incomplete, or that it could even be twisted by their own motives and desires.

And so, as I think about these and other figures of our faiths, I’m reminded that I do myself no favor when I try to stand in for God and judge myself or others, or when I imagine what direction God is taking some situation. However I conceive of God, I will never be able to see the whole of God in my lifetime. And, you know, that’s okay. It takes a lot of pressure off of me! I’m not in control of the universe. God is in control. I can focus on taking care of what’s in front of me and doing what I can to deepen my experience of God. God will take care of the rest. And when I have trouble really believing that—in the midst of the ups and downs of daily life—I can reconnect with God and release my concerns, as often as necessary. A minister from my childhood put it this way: “Pray any time of day or night, and don’t hesitate to hand over your worries to God; God’s going to be up all night anyway.”

Perhaps, if I’m not struggling so hard with expectations, I just might see opportunities more clearly.