Week 41 - Karen White - Being Expectant

Good morning, everyone! I hope you're having a great day. I want to share a few thoughts on what it truly means to live life with a feeling of being expectant.

When looking up the definition of the word expectant, it is defined as an adjective that means "having or showing an excited feeling that something is about to happen, especially something pleasant and interesting".

Reflecting on this concept brought back memories of the day my husband proposed. He left a voicemail that morning saying it was going to be a great day and that he would see me that night. I was pretty sure he was going to ask me to marry him, and I was excited and goofy because getting engaged was certainly something pleasant and interesting.

Yet, I didn't prepare myself. I didn't dress up, make a special dessert, or even do my hair—I was wearing lounge attire and sweeping crumbs off the kitchen counter when he rushed in to propose. Looking back, I wonder if I refrained from preparing because I didn't want to risk feeling disappointed if my expectations weren't met.

This realization made me notice a pattern in my spiritual life. I often tell God I expect Him to show up, but I don't actually prepare myself for Him to do so.

Key reflections on living expectantly include:

• Shifting Our Morning Prayers: King David wrote in Psalm 5:3, "Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly". Too often, morning prayers consist of handing requests over to God, only to immediately take everything back into personal control.

• Learning From Biblical Promises: Throughout history, God's people waited expectantly—whether in exile waiting to return to their homeland or looking forward to the arrival of the Messiah. Today, we are awaiting His return.

• Living in Days of Preparation: While it is normal to occasionally worry about whether the people around us are ready for Christ's return, these current moments serve as days of preparation. We are called to tell others about Christ, live fully surrendered, and look expectantly at what He will do.

Moving forward, a heart surrendered to God can start each morning with a prayer like this:

"Morning Lord. I'm looking for you. I can't wait to see how the day unfolds. You're with me every moment throughout this day. Get me out of the way. Help me to see you move. I want to be fully surrendered to you. It's all for your glory, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen."