S8 E53: Do You Truly Want What You Think You Want? - Rethinking Desires and Expectations

Happy spring, friends. And thanks for being here today.

You know the transitioning of seasons. For me, it has been reflecting on the seasons that I'm walking out. of and looking ahead to all the possibilities that a new season hold.

I'm learning with age to hold those expectations loosely and before you think that that means I expect less out of life than previous years, let me explain a little further.

Expectations have always been a huge thing for me. You know I have a vision and expectations for most areas and things in my life. What I expect and just what I see in my mind and that hasn't changed. But what has changed is that I used to have an expectation of how everything was going to play out, meaning all of the details getting to the end result or my expectation of what I was expecting.

Now, oftentimes painfully, had to come to terms with that's just not how life works. But we've also come to realize.that this is not necessarily a negative thing. It's a surrendering to the realization that I am not in control of all of the details. Continuing to allow myself to be surprised as they hold loosely to these expectations and desires and trusting that how they unfold. And fully trusting that my path is being guided and held by the one who holds all things together.

We welcomed the season of spring this week and just a reminder for those that have been listening to the Sunday episodes that follow along with the weekly focus from the seasonal journal, the she is awakening, seasonal journal now has its own podcast.

So I want you to make sure that you go subscribe there so you don't miss any of those episodes, but I wanted the journal episodes to have a different feel and flow and. I thought it would be best for it to have its own space. I think that you like the new changes and I hope that you will give it a listen and subscribe.

Spring is all about growth and change and what are the questions we've been asking in the spaces?

How are we seeing God at work in our lives and what are you expecting in this season that you are entering?

And I think that these are important questions for us to ask ourselves. Because we might desire to be in a different season of life, but where is God at work in our life right now in this moment?

You know, what are the areas that we are being invited to partner with the work of Holy Spirit and what God is doing in our life, right now? Because I found that this is where the seeds in our life are nurtured and nourished to bring fruit within our lives.

You know, we can have all the desires and all the expectations we want, but if they aren't in alignment with God's plans and purposes for our lives, then we are setting ourselves up for frustration and for disappointment.

Here's another important question that is not so easily answered.

Do you even want what you think you want?

I say that. Again, do you even want what you think you want?

Sometimes we are so busy putting our time and our energy into moving forward with something, you know, planting seeds to see growth in a particular area, and when we start seeing growth, we start to realize that maybe we've been planting seeds in the wrong area or the wrong kind of seeds.

And now before you start recognizing that you've done this or you feel this way and start getting down on yourself, feeling like maybe you've wasted time and resources, I don't think this is always a negative thing. As a matter of fact, I think oftentimes it's necessary in different ways for each of us.

It goes back to what I was just saying about building expectations loosely and trusting God. As believers, our desire and intention is to follow Christ. But in our humanity, as hard as we try, we are not going to do that perfectly. And the good news is that God doesn't expect us to.

The scripture in First Corinthians 13:12 that says…

“now we see things imperfectly. Like puzzling reflections in a mirror. But then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete. But then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

It's so good and the beautiful thing is that even when we miss it. God is faithful to continue to guide and to lead us, and to teach us through it all.

So the question of do you actually want what you think you want it? It isn't a question that can be answered quickly Or completely. Or immediately.

I have found it to be one of those questions that's like an onion that just keeps unraveling as we cut through the layers. You know, it's an example of we can't see what we can't see and sometimes it's only when we taste the fruit that we thought we desire, that we realize that we were longing and chasing a taste that we don't actually prefer or even desire. But you don't know that until you do so.

I would love to invite you to think about this layered question as you are asking yourself, what are you expecting as you're walking into this new season?

Because it might just change your expectations or better yet, It might change what seeds you decide to plant and to water in the season.

I'm looking forward to experiencing and seeing all the new growth that's flourishing all around me this spring as well as the flourishing that is taking place in you and I in this season.

So let's get off the screens and get outside and feel the sun on our skin and the fresh air in our lungs. This is a beautiful time to be alive. So don't forget to check out the links in the episode notes and thanks for spending time here. I appreciate you and I truly am believing for beautiful growth for each of us in this season.

We'll talk soon.