The story...
Each new class began with great expectations. I imagined the best from the syllabi and believed the instructor's opening arguments and impassioned pleas. I willed to diligently study, stay curious, apply truths, and be a better, more capable, version of me. The instructor, me, and classmates could live up to my expectations. My idealistic expectations were unrealistic - I expected too much from us all.
Might we expect less from others and appreciate actualities? Many of our community problems seem rooted in our inordinate expectations for them and us. God doesn't expect much from the old nature we were born with. He revealed that we are only good when positioned with Him and He is the only being who can restore our relationship. Yes, He provided the Way to erase the sin barrier between He and we. Might there be a place where we could appreciate life as it is, imagine veiled reality together, and allow each the freedom to grow as gifted together? The only church in town would be that place.
Just for today...
"It's unrealistic to expect perfection from an imperfect being in an imperfect world. The only perfection I can hope to attain is to be perfectly imperfect." Hope for Today (p. 335)
"Everyone who plays a part in our lives offers something we might learn. Other people can be our mirrors, reflecting our better or worse qualities. They can help us to work through conflicts from the past that were never resolved." Courage for Change (p. 335)
"Expected much; Got different - Graceful eyes; Saw better." Am I a Poet?