GREAT EXPECTATIONS

I’ll never forget the first time I went downhill skiing. 

I was 17 years old and a guy I really liked asked me to go with him so I jumped at the chance ! Apprehensive about skiing, I really liked this guy and wanted to spend time with him.  This would be our special memory. A night to remember. 

Great expectations.

So off we go.  No lesson.  Just my date telling me to keep my skis straight like french fries and maneuvering them into a pie shape to stop. (A very important thing by the way.) So what felt like hours later, I finally figured out how to get a ski boot on, squeeze into bindings and grab my poles. Then it was off to the bunny hill. I didn't even seem to mind my quads or mittens burning. It was all good. I was with the guy I liked.  And I was 17.

So just a few runs off the bunny hill, he was ready for the ski lift. And the moguls. For those who are skiers, you know how ridiculous it is to take a beginner on moguls. But there I was, trying to meet his expectations. And mine.

Many falls later, my date’s impatience with me reared it’s ugly head, so off to the black diamond runs he went. As I meandered down the hill by myself I lost my balance and my entire body slid down the hill so fast I landed in the parking lot.  Ouch.  Double ouch.

Great expectations.

Skiing is a test of the human spirit.  You have to let go of your fears, trust whom ever is teaching you and use your head to apply techniques that will work. Fun was not in the vocabulary, at least not yet.  Not much different than facing a personal challenge and setting your mind to overcome it.  You know, the Olympic Spirit.

So have you ever tried something new and weren’t successful?  Did you enter the activity expecting one thing and then getting another ?

In order to get a firm grasp on who we are, we need to practice developing realistic expectations.  Just like learning to ski, a lot of times it’s developing new skills.

Still, I was surprised he was so impatient.  I was surprised that I couldn’t quite figure out how to ski. I didn’t think about the fact that I was just a beginner and he wasn't patient. Instead, I felt like a failure. Everyone else around seemed to be able to figure this out, why not me?  Reminders of other failures in my life surfaced – like botching up this date.

Romans 12:3 says:  Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment. 

Enter reality. Enter sober judgement. I was 17. I never skied before. I had a date who was impatient and pushed me. I did an activity just because it was something he liked and wanted to share with me instead of something I truly wanted to do. AND moguls aren’t for beginners !
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To get a firm grasp on who we are in Christ, we do need to let go of unrealistic expectations we put on others, but also, on ourselves.  God is a merciful God and knows what our strengths and weaknesses are. He loves us anyway. The greatest expectation we can have is God is a merciful God. He loves us just where we're at. 

Yes, I did try skiing again – took a lesson with a pro – understood my limitations, skills and talents - and became a recreational skier.   

So it's winter time. Expect snow ! 

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