“Avoiding is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.” Helen Keller I am the opposite of “No Fear.” I’m more a ‘safety first’ girl. I’m also a planner; so in unfamiliar situations I have a Plan B prepared, or at the very least a contingency for the unexpected.
My last home move was well planned, packed and all boxes were well labeled and inventoried in advance. But there was no accounting for the moving company. They were late so we didn’t finish until after dark. I had hoped to unpack my kitchen by that time and I felt deflated. All my stress was due to the irresponsibility of the moving company that I thought I could count on. Expectations! I remember someone saying recently, “If you want to see God laugh, tell him about your plans.” What I learned through all this was not to have expectations. The moving company actually met their contract obligations, just not my expectations. More importantly, I also learned that when I set a goal, I need to make sure it’s within my ability to accomplish. Setting a goal that is not totally within my ability to accomplish, is setting myself up to fail. Instead of unpacking my kitchen by a certain time on move day, a better goal would have been to unpack my kitchen within a certain number of hours. It will certainly help to keep Helen Keller's example as inspiration for overcoming the unexpected. Do you regularly set expectations on others? Is there an expectation that you have set for someone else in order to meet your goals? What would be a better goal for you? Lord, thank You for helping me get over the anger and for helping me learn the lesson of how to set better goals…with no expectations. Amen “’For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.'” Jeremiah 29:11, 12, 13 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Helen Keller (1880-1968), was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree. Two movies were made about her life's accomplishments, and in 1964 President Johnson honored Keller with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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