Great Expectations

Summer Day 29

“Many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21

Great Expectations

 

How has your summer been? Is it going the way you thought it would? At the start of every summer, I always had great plans for what we would accomplish. We would start our days with glorious hikes in the mountains. We would plant and make all of our meals from the abundant garden in the back yard. Lazy afternoons would be spent journaling and dreaming. And nights would almost always finish with gazing up at the starry sky and contemplating the wonders of God.

That is not exactly what it looked like in reality. Instead, we had a constant stream of dirty dishes, dirty laundry, and dirty faces. Kids streamed in and out of our house making the thought of a schedule almost impossible. And I was good to get to Costco to buy enough food for whoever ended up at the dinner table that night. We did have lots of late nights under the stars, but only because we would eat so late that I was still cleaning the kitchen and straightening the house from the day’s activities. And that ended up being perfect.

I had to let go of my great expectations for what a summer should look like and embrace what it did look like. I relaxed into what my family thought was a great idea for the day instead of insisting on my own well thought out plans. We had a ball!

We did get some hikes in, although sometimes they were more like walks around the park by our house.

We did eat well, although sometimes we had macaroni and cheese and frozen peas.

We spent countless nights laying on the trampoline just being together.

I am sure we were all contemplating the mysteries of God in our ways in our own minds.

Go Deeper:

Dear moms, let go of what you think it should look like and embrace what it is. Enjoy the gift of the day and relax into it. When we invite God into each day, He can make it holy. The wonder of watching ants on the sidewalk in front of your house can be every bit as exhilarating as the view from a mountaintop. You can still contemplate the wonders of God from your kitchen sink. And a trip to the local ice cream store can be just as tasty and fun as picking a fresh strawberry from your garden.

What Next:

Stop and look around. If it doesn’t look like what you thought it would, is it still good? Are you following the Lord, loving Him with all of your mind, soul, spirit, and strength? Are you sharing that love with your children and their friends? Make your focus about loving God and loving your neighbors and let the rest go. Ask God to show you how to love like He loves. Listen to your children when they express delight over something. Relax into the plans that God has for your summer. After all, He is the creator of mountaintops and ladybugs. He is the One who placed those stars in the night sky. He gave someone the idea of ice cream and strawberries. He created you and placed your children in your home. He can bless each day with His abundance and joy.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind.”Matthew 22:37

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Julie Maegdlin and Deb Weakly
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9 Comments on “Great Expectations”

  1. Perfect timing. I have 2.5 weeks lefts before school begins. I’m a messy person, so naturally, my goal for this summer was to declutter. The current state of our house is messier than when school ended! How did I gain more when I was supposed have less?

    I just looked at my calendar and saw the fun things we did as a family and the playdates and camps my children got to attend. It was a wonderful summer. Thanks for the reminder to reflect with a different perspective!

  2. This spoke to me as well! I am a planner and always have plans of grandeur in my mind, but the reality, with 2 small kids, is it rarely ever happens the way I’ve envisioned! I thank you for sharing this perspective and opening our eyes to God’s view for us to see!

    1. Seeing life through God’s perspective is so refreshing! We don’t have to take nearly so much on our shoulders. There is so much freedom in looking to God before we look to our planners.

  3. This explains my summer perfectly! Thanks for your insight…maybe my “great expectations” for the summertime ended up greater that I thought after all. ? Just a different kind of great. Love this!

    1. God is always for us. His plans for us are beyond our wildest expectations!! I am glad that you summer was still great 🙂

  4. This is do beautiful and life-giving Julie! Thank you! I need to let go and remember that beauty comes from the unexpected! I need to put away my “to-do lists” and “bucket lists” and just allow myself to revel in the life I’ve been given with my family!

    1. There is so much joy waiting for us on the other side of our limited plans. God has beautiful things in store for you!! I am excited for you to discover that wild beauty!

  5. This is SUCH a great reminder Julie!! It’s so important to let go of our expectations and rest in the plans of God for our days here on this earth. The Lord knows what is best!! He is so good and takes such great care of us and our families! 🙂

    1. Being able to rest in the Lord is such a gift. To know that the Creator of the universe is involved in our daily lives is hard to even comprehend! I am so grateful that you and I rest before the Throne together.

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