Getting Your Expectations Up By Latta-Claire

I have learned that being expectant for things can be very challenging at times because many of us are so worried we will be disappointed or we will feel as if God has let us down.

My middle school years, and up until my freshman year of high school, were a ride of emotions. I had a very specific prayer and it seemed as if it was never going to come to pass. I had such high expectations that, at times, felt as if I needed to lower the standards a bit and then God would answer.

The thing I was praying for was a best friend. A friend who loved Jesus, who encouraged me, and who was authentic. One day when I felt very discouraged that this prayer was not going to come to pass, I sat down and wrote out a list of things I prayed my future friend would have. It was very raw and I opened up to God and told Him all of the things I wanted.

The years kept passing by and nothing seemed to change. Some days it was so hard and I would feel so defeated that I would come home and just weep because it felt like God wasn’t being attentive. It felt like He wasn’t being present. I wondered to myself often in that time, why would God withhold something so beautiful as a friend? I so desperately wanted to expect this prayer to come to pass, but nothing in my life seemed as if it was changing.

It was my sophomore year of high school that everything changed. My family and I had recently moved to a new town and I had switched schools. Literally, the first day at my new school I sat down and across from me I remember seeing this girl who looked so kind (and we had not even said a word to each other) and I vividly remember thinking she looks so nice. I would love to be her friend.

Within a couple of weeks, we became friends and started hanging out together. It was one of those friendships that did not feel forced, ya know? The conversation felt natural and we could be ourselves with one another. The more we got to know each other, the more I knew this friendship was orchestrated by God. Also, a couple months after we had been friends, I remembered that raw prayer and list of qualities I had prayed for in a friend. ALL of them down to the very last detail were answered. NO JOKE. The first prayer I had on that list was that we would be able to go to coffee shops and talk about things going on in our lives, and that was the first thing we ever did together. I did not even think about the prayer then.

Also, another God wink was that the street name before hers is “Latta” which is my first name. That is such a unique name that there is no way that is a coincidence! God goes above and beyond our expectations. Even though your prayer may not look like it's being answered right now, don’t give up. Keep in faith. God is putting the puzzle pieces together and working all things for your good. I believe that God likes to go above and beyond and surprise His children because He loves us that much!

I look back and it is so crazy to me that, little did I know, the friend God had for me was on the other side of the country. God was putting the pieces together. What I love about God is that He will go above and beyond our expectations. It would have been so much easier for Him to provide a friend who was from the U.S., but He hand picked someone from a whole other country and had us meet at just the right time. Another special thing is that she was also praying that God would bring a friend into her life.

Sometimes we have to have faith and believe it is coming even when we cannot see anything changing in our circumstances. What I have realized is that limiting God with our prayers is limiting the work He can do within our lives and also who He can bring into our lives.

I heard someone say once that puny prayers get puny answers but big prayers get big answers. Let's start releasing some big prayers, because He can do it! Let's "up" our expectations and believe God for more, because He can do abundantly more than we could ever imagine!

Ephesians 3:20

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."