Surrendered Expectations

We’re a week away from Christmas today. For many that brings excitement like that of a child-like joy. For many others it just heightens the stress level thinking of all the things they still have to do or reminding them how far behind on everything they are – needing to get it all done before they feel they can relax and enjoy the celebration.

It’s so easy to get over-burdened with expectations that we place on ourselves… battling the frantic feeling of wanting everything to be perfect. And while that might come from a good place in our hearts, it can also steal the joy away from the season if we’re not careful to surrender our expectations to God along the way.

This year has been a year that’s challenged me to have a posture of surrender. Surrendered expectations of how we think things should be… or how we think people should be treated….our view of how we think situations should’ve been handled. And when the outcome doesn’t turn out how we were expecting, then we’re faced with a choice. To surrender our plans before a Holy God, or to go kicking and screaming in heartache because we’re wounded.

It’s no surprise, really, to step back and reflect, that the enemy would work overtime to get us distracted from participating in whole-hearted surrender, entering into a season of us celebrating the birth of our Saviour. For He came to set the captives free!

I don’t know all of what’s on your to-do list, but what may help as you start your day, doing what you can with the same 24-hours that we all have… is practicing a prayer of surrender.

With open hands… palms up towards Heaven as a symbol of willingness to be receptive to God’s ways. To just begin with stillness, as a physical act of the spiritual surrender our hearts are choosing to acknowledge before God.

“Lord, would you clear my mind from holding tightly to things that I WANT done, in preparation of the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Would you remind me to keep You at the center of it all and let the details that don’t matter, fall away. With open hands and an open heart, I surrender my plans to you. Holding onto the only expectation of receiving intimacy with your presence – receiving your joy and peace. Thank you for Who you are and what You’ve done for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,

and in his word, I put my hope.

I wait for the Lord

more than watchmen wait for the morning,

Yes, more than watchmen waiting for the morning.” – Psalm 130:5-6