Visions of cheer and happiness danced in Megan’s mind. She could see it now—the delicious homemade breakfast on the table, her little brother sitting down with a big grin on his face, and her parents standing beside each other with cheerful looks. Her first day of college would be incredible. She wouldn’t have to worry about her parents fighting as she packed her backpack or her brother nagging her about occupying the bathroom for an hour.
It would be the perfect first day…right?
Probably wrong.
Whether or not we would like to admit it, we often have similar expectations to Megan. We expect our issues and struggles to disappear for exciting events and occasions. We think that we can whisk the pain out of our minds to focus on these special occurrences. Or perhaps we have come to realize that our expectations will usually fail us.
We’re not always going to have the perfect birthday, the perfect Christmas, the perfect first date, the perfect vacation, the perfect first day of school, or the perfect _____.
Because life is messy.
Your birthday might be filed with heartache, your Christmas might be plagued with sickness, your first date might be emotionally draining, your vacation might actually be stressful, and your first day of school might be filled with family drama.
Rarely do exciting events occur exactly the way we expect. And when we are disappointed, we often withdraw, complain, or become frustrated.
As much as I’d like my problems to disappear when my birthday comes around or when it’s time for our family vacation, they still remain. It may be possible to brush them out of my mind for a short time, but they always return. I’m unable to fully enjoy any occasion because life is hard, and I’m struggling to thrive.
But we’re not alone in our struggles.
-Have you ever been frustrated because an exciting event or opportunity in your life was overshadowed by your struggles? Please click here to learn what we can remember during these discouraging times!
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 