Expectations should be centered upon our faith

My favorite Mexican restaurant is right here in Sikeston — El Nopalito. I love their grilled food. Whether it be chicken or shrimp or whatever, the flavor is so full of depth. When I think of food off the grill, it is this food I imagine.

A friend and I ate at the Mexican restaurant in a town north of Sikeston. I ordered the grilled chicken. It looked great on the plate and I took my first bite and I was...disappointed. It did not meet my expectations. My taste buds missed the flavor of El Nopalito’s. As I ate, I thought to myself how silly I was in being disappointed. The grilled chicken in front of me was good. I was being unfair to the restaurant by expecting it to be exactly like my favorite Mexican restaurant. It would be like my parents expecting my younger sister to be exactly like me or expecting a daisy to smell like a rose. You cannot place unrealistic expectations on food, people or things, for in doing so, you miss the uniqueness and special qualities that are right in front of you.

If we are to have expectations, let those expectations be centered upon our faith. We wait in expectation of the second coming of Jesus. We expect that, as Christians, we will follow the ways of Christ. Let us have the expectation that God fully forgives us our sins and has granted us the gift of eternal life. Let us expect that God keeps God’s promises. If we allow for expectations only in matters of faith, we will not be disappointed in people, places or things. Rather, we will see the beauty of God in every aspect of our lives.

“It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death.”  Philippians 1:20