Expectations and Joy
"I wanted the fairy tale that doesn't actually exist. When all we got instead was ordinary. Imperfect."
I read those words posted by my favorite blogger and I pressed my hand to my heart. I know exactly how she feels. In fact, I feel like she wrote the words I that have been trying to find their way to my mouth, but they didn't know where to start.
My thoughts about this started before Christmas Day, I so wanted the morning to be perfect. We all knew this Christmas was going to be extra busy. But everyone was doing well, so far. Christmas morning came and so did the imperfection. This was shown in action, not words. Presents were placed in a pile by her side and little hands searched under the tree for her own presents. Completely captive in her own world, she seemed to spend Christmas by herself. There were not any thoughts of anyone else, help was refused and ignoring seemed to be a new game. Enter frustration and disappointment, while wistful fairy tale thoughts turn into analyzing thoughts.
We eventually left the mess in the living room and exchanged it for a 3 hour car ride to a family Christmas party. Then the days and life moved on and we had good Christmases with our families. But I didn't forget about the fairy tale thoughts. I still wanted it.
It's at that point, that I need someone to slap my face. WAKE UP. Know what I mean, Vern?
You know, at some point in life you will come to realize that your expectations can kill your joy.
You have to sit back and rethink everything. It can get a little dangerous, so be careful.
If we concentrate on the "imperfects" that happen in the midst of expectation, they will ruin it and we will never see the joy of our life. We will miss the joy of the day by allowing a little imperfection to weasel it's way into our minds and destroy all that was good in the first place.
Some days are so much easier than others and some days finding joy has to be intentional. You find it in gratitude. Gratitude doesn't come naturally, does it? You have to look for it.
Sometime you just have to throw those expectations to the wind and start over.
(I don't know. I just think this picture is hilarious. It need a good, random place to go….and viola!)
Traditionally, the day the kids are out of school for Martin Luther King Day is terrible. I wasn't too excited it about this year, but I was grateful that no one had to be anywhere early! I am pretty sure I had intentions of making waffles. Then I remembered the past two years of this day and wanted to stay in bed. After thinking it over for approximately 6 seconds, staying comfy in my bed won out over making waffles. No one likes their feet on a cold floor anyway.
That's when I read this quote. It saved the whole day.
"No one gets to joy by trying to make everything perfect.
One only arrives there by seeing in every imperfection all that is joy."
It's really going to be okay -- just keeping looking into the imperfect for the perfect mercy of Jesus and counting Him all Joy, counting it all joy ." --Ann Voskamp
I breathed a sigh of relief. It was really going to be okay! HA! Who would have thunk it?!
I threw my expectations out the window and started the day. I think I even made waffles.
That day turned into a fantastic day. It ended with hot dogs and marshmellows over a bonfire in our backyard! There is something about a bonfire that makes me happy. There is something about throwing your expectations to the wind that enables you to find joy and gratitude admist the imperfections.
That day my counted joys included:
*the construction of a teepee/clubhouse
*Pawpaw and Nana came for a surprise visit
*an impromptu bonfire in the backyard.
Here's to throwing out expectations and find joy in the imperfection.
CLINK!
I read those words posted by my favorite blogger and I pressed my hand to my heart. I know exactly how she feels. In fact, I feel like she wrote the words I that have been trying to find their way to my mouth, but they didn't know where to start.
My thoughts about this started before Christmas Day, I so wanted the morning to be perfect. We all knew this Christmas was going to be extra busy. But everyone was doing well, so far. Christmas morning came and so did the imperfection. This was shown in action, not words. Presents were placed in a pile by her side and little hands searched under the tree for her own presents. Completely captive in her own world, she seemed to spend Christmas by herself. There were not any thoughts of anyone else, help was refused and ignoring seemed to be a new game. Enter frustration and disappointment, while wistful fairy tale thoughts turn into analyzing thoughts.
We eventually left the mess in the living room and exchanged it for a 3 hour car ride to a family Christmas party. Then the days and life moved on and we had good Christmases with our families. But I didn't forget about the fairy tale thoughts. I still wanted it.
It's at that point, that I need someone to slap my face. WAKE UP. Know what I mean, Vern?
You know, at some point in life you will come to realize that your expectations can kill your joy.
You have to sit back and rethink everything. It can get a little dangerous, so be careful.
If we concentrate on the "imperfects" that happen in the midst of expectation, they will ruin it and we will never see the joy of our life. We will miss the joy of the day by allowing a little imperfection to weasel it's way into our minds and destroy all that was good in the first place.
Some days are so much easier than others and some days finding joy has to be intentional. You find it in gratitude. Gratitude doesn't come naturally, does it? You have to look for it.
Sometime you just have to throw those expectations to the wind and start over.
(I don't know. I just think this picture is hilarious. It need a good, random place to go….and viola!)
Traditionally, the day the kids are out of school for Martin Luther King Day is terrible. I wasn't too excited it about this year, but I was grateful that no one had to be anywhere early! I am pretty sure I had intentions of making waffles. Then I remembered the past two years of this day and wanted to stay in bed. After thinking it over for approximately 6 seconds, staying comfy in my bed won out over making waffles. No one likes their feet on a cold floor anyway.
That's when I read this quote. It saved the whole day.
"No one gets to joy by trying to make everything perfect.
One only arrives there by seeing in every imperfection all that is joy."
It's really going to be okay -- just keeping looking into the imperfect for the perfect mercy of Jesus and counting Him all Joy, counting it all joy ." --Ann Voskamp
I breathed a sigh of relief. It was really going to be okay! HA! Who would have thunk it?!
I threw my expectations out the window and started the day. I think I even made waffles.
That day turned into a fantastic day. It ended with hot dogs and marshmellows over a bonfire in our backyard! There is something about a bonfire that makes me happy. There is something about throwing your expectations to the wind that enables you to find joy and gratitude admist the imperfections.
That day my counted joys included:
*the construction of a teepee/clubhouse
*Pawpaw and Nana came for a surprise visit
*an impromptu bonfire in the backyard.
Here's to throwing out expectations and find joy in the imperfection.
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| this is before it was finished |
CLINK!
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