This Christmas, I will wait

"I will wait"

Mumford & Sons

I do love Mumford and Sons! There is something about their songs that point me to a deeper meaning. As I looked for a song to illustrate my thoughts, this one seemed to go perfectly. 

Advent defined as "A coming; the coming of our Savior." 

I've always wanted to follow Advent... but I always seemed to get sidetracked by the busyness of the season... or my focus on "lack" or "grief". This year I want to do it differently.. I want a slow down and follow.. or shall I say "wait"?

I love the lyrics in the song above. They so describe my heart for this season.. "I will wait for You".

I chose those words because when you need your memories of past Christmases to change from bad to good.. that's what you do.. You wait for Jesus to change them. 

This Christmas will be the 10th year of Christmases without Jack. It has been a long road for us all.. but today I can honestly say Jesus has helped our hearts heal in a way that we can begin to enjoy Christmas again. 

A couple of weeks ago I began feeling the nudge to look up the definition to the word Expectancy. 

I felt like the Lord was saying: 

"Julie, focus your sight on Expectancy not Expectation. For so many years you have focused on your expectations (on the outcome of things) and they did not go well, so you gave up hope. This year focus on expectancy (waiting for Me to show up) and see how things go and this will grow your hope in me." 

So, I agreed to go on the journey with Him this Christmas season. I'm setting my focus on Him and not the outcome of things. This will be a season of waiting and looking for the good in all things:)

I looked up Expectancy and Expectation.. wow!! What a wonderful focus it brought to where I spend my attention..

Expectancy - The act of expecting; HOPE; a looking for with pleasure. 

Expectation - The act of expecting or looking forward to a future event with at least some reason to believe the event will happen.  

Here is the difference between the two

Expectancy originates in desire and may exist with little or no ground of belief that the desired event will arrive. 

Expectations are founded on some reasons which renders the event probable. 

Expectancy  directs us to focus on "something good"

Expectations are directed to good or BAD. 

A couple of things went through my mind as I read the definitions. 

Expectancy is born from desire.. "Delight (hope) in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart"- Psalm 37:4  Expectancy is from the Lord.. it is His desire for us to be looking for Him and His good. 

Expectancy can be held on to with little or no ground for belief. "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this black mulberry tree, 'Be pulled out by the roots and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. "- Luke 17:6  The Lord doesn't expect us to have great faith to see His goodness..

Expectancy- looks for something good:) Jesus is always good.. He always brings good.. Even if your sight at the time can only see bad. If you hold on and wait.. He will heal your heart so you can see His good. This is what allows us to live again after great suffering.
 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."- Romans 8:28

Expectations- They focus on good or bad.. that definition makes me think it's based on what we see by natural sight.. not by supernatural sight. I'm not trying to say we ignore the bad.. because it will show up.. Jesus promised us that.. He warned us of that.. but He said that if we wait and walk with Him through our suffering we will also get to share in His glory:) There is always a supernatural victory on the other side of your earthly suffering. "We overcome evil with good."- Romans 12:21  We train our sight to see expectations in a supernatural way.. we learn to see the good so it will help us overcome the bad.

Summed up.. Expectations are not bad to have as long as we look at them the right way. On this earth we will all live in between the pain of this world and the promises of His word. So, We look at the good and bad and wait in expectancy to see how Jesus handles the outcome:) We always leave room for Jesus..We wait:)

And so for this season.. this advent...Jesus, "I will wait, I will wait for You" in expectancy of your good for each and every outcome:)