What exactly are expectations? Expectations are beliefs that are centered on the future. We all have expectations – for to many of us our expectations imply inevitable failure. This might be true of we put our faith in other people alone. Is it wrong to have faith that things in one’s life just might turn out to be good? There is a reason why people say we should not expect too much. No one wants to see someone they care about disappointed.

We instinctively try to protect our own from being hurt and do what we can to make the right choices for the people we love. The reason we have expectations in the first place is because we want to aim as high as we can. Maybe our expectations are unrealistic. If we put our faith in God and seek his guidance our expectations are somehow met. When we look at the ladders of life most of us try to climb to the top. When you love someone there is no limit to what you can accomplish if you are making the effort. God loved us so much that he gave His only Son for our transgressions that we might have life with Him.

I have given my closes friends a bible and asked them to read the devotionals that are part of this bible for 2 weeks each day. By reading this for 2 weeks I hope and pray that it will become a part of their daily routine. We have hope for our friends and I pray for them each day that they will allow God to come into their lives and make a difference to fill something that is missing.

As a Christian you never know when the last chance to share the word of Jesus Christ might be to your best friend, or someone you love.

Many of them feel that there is a hole in their lives and try to fill it with things. This seems to work as long as they can buy more things. When the money runs out the hole is still there. We hear this story so many times, people at the top of the ladder of life have something missing or there is that hole. There are certain things that people believe about you that are based on the expectations they set for you. When someone has high expectations of you, they believe or they expect you to meet those expectations.

I have not lived up to my expectations of myself, I have not lived up to the expectation of the people around me, I have not live up to the expectations of God. Please forgive me. Allow me to be your servant today and use me to bring light into the life of someone who is searching for you.

Earlier this year I wrote an article about Mocking birds that got in my warehouse. I explained that the garage doors were opened and the bird flew in and could not figure a way out. Eventually there were three birds in the warehouse but one lead another one out. The third bird just did not get it. It did not matter if the door was opened or not he just wanted to sit on the rafter and make his presents known. At the end of the day I had to close the doors and go home. That was on a Thursday and it started the weekend for me. I worried about that bird and hated to close the door at the end of the day.

I thought that if I were a bird I would fly near them and let them follow me out of the warehouse.  It just seemed so futile to me that this bird would not follow the other two when they came in and out of the doors.

Fast forward with me about 4 months.  Recently, I was moving pallets and I found that stubborn, little bird under one of the pallets, dead.  It brought to mind all that I believed in Jesus Christ. Many people say this thing about Christianity cannot be true because it just is not fair.

If you don’t believe in Jesus Christ you cannot be adopted into God’s kingdom.  That does seem unfair. But, unfair does not mean it is not true.

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus. Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [Matthew 10:38, 39]

The bird did not follow the others out of the warehouse and died a physical death. We were given an example to live a perfect life and a life of sacrifice. I know that I have never lived or never will live that perfect life, but I am now striving in that direction. I am in a relationship with Christ and want to do his will. I so often fail.

The world is broken and we are so close to it that sometimes we can not even see just how broken it is.  We must follow Jesus Christ in order that we might be in paradise.

Are you going to be like the mocking bird in the warehouse and die or are you going to follow Jesus. My hope for you is that you will follow the way that leads to life eternal…

Pray this prayer with me. Jesus, I need your help. I will follow you out of my life’s problems. I will turn over to you all things in my life and follow you. I have always tried to do things on my own and now it is time to get out of this trapped life by reading and following your words. Thank you for coming to earth to teach us about God and His Grace. Let me be Bold and filled with your Holy Spirit as I make it through this broken world. Amen

Willie Nelson sings in one of his songs, ”If I ever get to Heaven it won’t be because I tried”.   That struck me kind of weird but partially true.  I guess he was saying that it would be a miracle if he ever got to heaven because of the hard life he lived.  But, in the turn around of that, there is only one thing you can do to get there, and that is to accept Christ and the grace of God.

I changed my life a few years ago because I came to realize that I was spending a whole lot of effort and energy trying to get by day by day.  I was not living life to the fullest because something was missing at the end of each day.  There was a hollow feeling, I was not satisfied, my family was not satisfied and something was just not right.

I knew everyday that my wife was praying for our family and me.  She was wanted the best for each one of us and knew that God wanted the same.  She often provided opportunities for me to return to the church and find my way back to God.  When I try to live out my plans for my life they are small in comparison to Gods pans for my life.

I am trying everyday to live out his plan for my life.  I fail most days to live up to all he asks of me.  I have found that if I start everyday with some type of personal devotional time of reading the Bible, a devotional, praying for family and friends, for their healing, peace and favor my day is better.  I also learned that I need support from a group of men that face the same struggles in their lives for support.  This helps me to change my focal point from ME to His will for my life.

I often pray for someone and wonder if God is listening. I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 17:6 I know that God is listening, deep within my heart, to my prayers and He is preparing me and is telling me to wait on Him.  If I place my faith in the outcome of my prayer and not in Him I know that I will end up disappointed and frustrated while I wait.

I know that I must surrender my waiting to God and I will be strengthened. Each day that I surrender my will the waiting becomes easier for me.  I am reminded each day that God has a plan for me.   For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

We are called to tell others about the love God has for us through Jesus Christ.  St Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel but only use words when you have to”.  Strive to live out your life as a living Bible so that others might read from your actions and know Christ’s story.  These types of analogies help me to put into perspective where I am, where I need to be, and how I will end up.  I will get to heaven because I’ve tried to live in accordance to God’s plan for my life and not my plan.  I tried my way and it just left a hole.

In my daily life I try to reflect His character.  I know I don’t always succeed.   Now, I want people to be drawn to Christ because of me.  Does your daily behavior and your character bring shame or honor to the name Christian?   Sitting in the pew each Saturday, Sunday, Monday or Wednesday does not score you points unless you are living the other day of the week what you learn. Sunday is for education and inspiration the rest of the week is for application.  Does your life line up with what you say?

-Steve Rusk