Great Expectations

I have great expectations of the people closest to me. But before I get ahead of myself...

Hebrews 12:6 says that if the Lord loves you, then He will chasten you. Discipline you. You know, make you sit in the corner with your finger over your mouth and just listen.

One of my favorite songs is called, "What Do I Know of Holy?" by Addison Road. There is a line in the song that says,

"I try to hear from heaven, but I talk the whole time."

I'm learning that sometimes I need to sit in the corner, with my finger over my mouth and just listen.

Turns out God started talking when I began to listen. I had just gotten through filling out my complaint card, and giving it to Him. 'I want so and so to be real with me.' 'I don't want them to be superficial.' (I have great expectations of people, remember) 'I want to feel like my feelings are regarded.' And so on and so forth.

As it turns out, God handed my complaint card back to me. Only this time He was the "complainer" and I the "complainee", if you will. My message:

Be real with me.
Don't be superficial.
My feelings on the subject need to be regarded.

You see, I have great expectations of the people closest to me. Unfortunately, I tend to hold them to a standard, that I don't even try to maintain. Basically, I expect out of them what I am not courteous enough to give in return. A selfish sort of mentality, I admit. The unconscious idea that, 'My feelings are more important than theirs.' (It took some self examination to see this.)

But I thank God for His still small voice. For helping me to see when my priorities are wrong. When I have put myself and my feelings before others. (Especially my Saviour's) When I don't know how to change, am not sure how to be better, He shows me. He helps me. He speaks to me. I just have to sit in the corner, put my finger over my mouth, and listen.