To start from part one, click here.
Being raised in Texas means I’ve learned a thing or two about cowboy stories. And one thing I know is that at high noon there’s always a showdown. The outlaw and the sheriff draw their guns and only one is left standing.
I had my own high noon duel today. There weren’t any actual weapons, fortunately. (Otherwise I would have traded my one phone call for one blog post and asked all of you to bail me out.)
It happened over lunch today with a good friend. We talked about our stories and how we’re at a place where we’re both feeling a bit, well, just downright discouraged.
Do you ever have words pop out of your mouth and wonder where in the world they came from?
That’s what happened next.
I said, “You know, I’ve been disappointed because they way things have worked out didn’t match my expectations. But I never really asked God if they matched up to His plans.”
And then I could almost hear the clink of spurs and the dust swirling under the table. Time for a showdown.
You see, I’ve been at this place before.
I’m an idealist who has pretty high expectations about, oh, everything.
(Now, there are reasonable and good expectations. For example, that your spouse will be faithful. Just to be clear, I’m not talking about that kind.)
When my expectations don’t get met I just assume that things have gone terribly wrong and God has been surprised for the first time in all of eternity. Yes, ma’am.
Eventually, I come to my senses and realize that’s nonsense.
And at that point, either my expectations or God’s plans have got to go.
It’s the high noon of the heart.
Thankfully, God’s really good at shooting big, fat holes through my expectations. At the time, I don’t like it one bit. But it usually turns out those expectations were the bad guy all along. And when I look back, I can see my story turned out a whole lot better than if the duel had ended differently.
(Note: For those of you who are grieving because you have been hurt or wronged in a way that never should have happened and God never wanted for you, that’s an entirely different post and story. And I’m so sorry.)
Could it be time for a showdown between your expectations and God’s plans?
Like I did in the Joy Challenge, I’ll have random giveaways for people who comment or subscribe during this series. (Subscribers, to leave a comment click here or on Heart to Heart with Holley at the top of the e-mail. Then scroll down and click on “comments” at the bottom of the actual post.)
