Modern Faith: Expectations vs Reality

I recently came across a meme making it's way across the Internet with the caption "Expectations vs Reality", contrasting people's expected outcomes of a situation with the sometimes less desirable reality. Speaking to a close friend of mine, she echoed a similar sentiment. It highlights a deep inner struggle we all feel, no matter where we are on our spiritual journey. Even the most passionately practicing Catholic experiences a moment of weakness of will to keep trusting in the Divine Plan. Like many others, I desire for control over my life and it's outcomes. I think I know what's best for me and I relentlessly pursue those outcomes. When I'm met with a dead end or a side track, I fall into the trap of thinking God is denying me what my heart truly desires. Yet God truly has plans for us, plans that only He knows.

Trusting in God's plan requires us to keep a few things in mind

1. Endurance

One of the key reasons we stray away from the Lord is we feel we are running a very long race and we are not reaching our intended destination. We want this job, that relationship or that perfect life. Yet the Lord encourages us to press on, to fight the good fight and to never tire. Faith is not a sort of refundable blouse we can buy off Asos, it is a beautiful gift that we are slowly learning to appreciate in its entirety. And to truly trust in God's plan, we need to prepare ourselves for unexpected twists and turns. God works in His own perfect timing and we need to wait patiently on Him to fulfill the promises He has made to us.

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2. Surrender

This is so against our human nature to control our futures and to know what happens next. Yet I've realised the more stubborn we are, the further we run away from God, the closer He will eventually draw us to Himself. For a very long time, I have had the impression that I know what's best for me and that I know how life will pan out. Yet it has left me feeling tired, tired of this lack of peace of heart. We often find ourselves chasing many idols of success, comparing ourselves against other people thinking we are all measured by the same yardstick. We become disillusioned when someone close to us has reached another milestone in life and we are stuck in a stalemate. How often have we received pressure or criticism from people around us that we should be at a certain stage in life by now? I've realised that the beauty is in the surrender. Surrender your worries and insecurities to the Lord and invite Him to work through you. Let Him move you in His own perfect plan and let Him take over the steering wheel.

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3. Openness

The tendency is to close off our hearts to let God work through us. We are fixated with one vision of our lives such that we reject alternative endings to our story. We want to be married by a certain age, have children by another stage or advance in our career. And if we are not on that carefully planned trajectory, we persist in our "plan", closing ourselves off to God's plans for us. It is hard to leave behind our own "hopes" and to open our hearts and minds to God's plan. We have attached so much weight and precedence to these such that we have lost sight of our larger purpose, service to God, in whatever way He calls us to. Let us instead practice openness in being open to receive His call and to answer Him with a firm "Here I am Lord, I come to do your will".

I know it's not easy to trust in His plan, it seems like we are on an ongoing journey to discover His plan in the first place! Know that God has a plan for you, sometimes beyond your human understanding and very different from the "Expectations" we had in mind. God is directing you, guiding you to where He wants you to be. He is slowly moulding you for His Divine purpose. Let us pray that day by day, we will turn to Him in loving trust, such that by His grace, "Expectations=Reality"