Anchored in Your Unmet Expectations
This time of year practically invites us to form expectations, expectations for the holidays, for the new year, for ourselves, and even for the people around us. And if I’m honest, I am no stranger to extravagant expectations. I imagine upcoming events with fairytale-like details and perfectly wrapped endings. When expectations are stacked that high, you’re right in guessing that very often… they’re not met.
The holidays especially stir up the temptation to craft elaborate, Pinterest-perfect visions, from the food I’ll prepare to the reactions I imagine people will have when they open their gifts. And yes, I’ve been disappointed more than once when reality didn’t line up with the picture I painted in my head.
But lately, I’ve felt God tugging on my heart, urging me to take a closer look at my expectations. As I reflect on this past year, I can see so many moments that didn’t go the way I envisioned. And yet, looking back, I can trace His fingerprints through every unexpected turn, working for my protection, guiding my growth, and teaching me how to trust His timing instead of my own.
Some expectations were rooted in my own desires without considering anyone else. Some were formed out of a desire to control what I could not control. Others were shaped by my timeline instead of God’s. And in those moments of unmet expectations, there has been this soft whisper in my spirit reminding me:
Maybe this didn’t turn out the way you hoped because you’re still learning to surrender it. Maybe the unmet expectation is actually an invitation, to give thanks in all circumstances, just like Scripture instructs.
As Christmas approaches and the pressure of holiday expectations rises, I’m choosing a new perspective this year. One that isn’t centered on the perfect gathering, the perfect décor, or the perfect menu. Instead, I’m laying down my expectations and opening my hands for whatever God wants to place there.
I want to leave space for God to surprise me.
With His goodness — reflected in a year filled with health, growth, provision, and joy.
With His faithfulness — seen in every challenge He walked me through.
With His mercy — gently revealing the places in me that needed reshaping.
With His love — always knowing exactly what I need, exactly when I need it.
So this year, I’m choosing to leave enough room between my expectations and myself… for God to intervene.
A Moment to Reflect
Take a quiet minute and ask yourself:
Where have unmet expectations left you discouraged, frustrated, or weary this year?
And what might God be trying to show you through those moments?
Invite Him into the space between what you hoped for and what actually happened.
Trust that He’s working, even when the outcome doesn’t match your picture.
Anchored Devotional
Unmet expectations often reveal where our hope has drifted from God’s hands into our own. When we realign our hearts with His will, we discover that His “no,” “not yet,” or “not this way” is never rejection, it’s redirection. He writes stories that are better than anything we could script, and He uses every unexpected turn to anchor us deeper in His love.
Let your hope settle in the One who never disappoints, even when life does.
Let your heart rest in the truth that He is faithful in every season.
And let your expectations be shaped not by perfection, but by surrender.
Personal Prayer
Lord, You see every expectation I carried this year, the ones fulfilled and the ones that left me disappointed. Today, I surrender them all to You. Quiet the pressures in my heart and help me release every picture-perfect outcome I imagined. Teach me to trust Your timing, Your plans, and Your goodness, even when things unfold differently than I hoped.
Fill this season with Your peace, Your joy, and Your gentle guidance. Shape my expectations to align with Your will, and help me find gratitude in every circumstance. And Lord, please surprise me with what You have beyond my expectations, the blessings, growth, and goodness I didn’t even know to hope for.
Anchored in hope,
P.S. I’m loving Susie Larson’s Prepare Him Room advent devotional this season. It’s such a beautiful way to refocus on Jesus. Here’s the link if you want to check it out:
About Prepare Him Room: Christmas is a time of joy and celebration. But in the hurriedness of December, sometimes we find ourselves sacrificing a sacred pace for hustle, leaving us feeling more stressed than blessed.
What if you approached this Advent more open to the things of God? What if you made room for the true joy found in the coming of our King? Prepare Him Room invites you to
● give God sacred space in your holiday season
● respond to His work in your life
● ponder the miracle of Christ within you
As you begin your Christmas preparations this year, journey through Luke's account of Jesus' birth, life, death, and ultimate resurrection. God invites you to be still and let Jesus radically transform you this holy season.
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