STOP EXPECTING LIFE TO BE PERFECT
Donald Miller has written a book called, "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years." It's about the journey Don went on when a couple of filmmakers decided to make a movie about his life, based on his book Blue Like Jazz. Now during the process of writing a screenplay about his life, Don discovered that one, his life was pretty lame, and two, the same elements that go into telling a good story are the same elements that go into living a good life.
A good story is about a character who overcomes conflict to get what he wants. The climax of any good story is that moment where all problems are resolved and the tension is relieved, where all the conflict is finally over and the character goes on to live happily ever after.
What Don realized though is that this is the only element of the story that doesn't translate into real life. Life just doesn't happen that way. Problems and difficulties never completely disappear from our life or are cleanly resolved. They are always a part of the life we lead. Yet Jesus does mention resolution but he says it's not coming until the end and by that he means the second coming. I think we're conditioned to believe through all of the books we read, and movies we watch that there is some moment out there waiting to happen and all of our problems will just be resolved. And we bring those expectations with us when we come to faith. I don't know about you, but I have yet to experience that moment. And the reality is, I'm not going to experience that moment during this lifetime...until the end.
Don Miller writes, "All of this may sound depressing to you, but I don't mean it to be. I've lived some good stories now and those stories have improved the quality of my life. But I have also let go of the idea that things will ever be made perfect, at least while I am walking around on this planet. I have let go of the idea that this life has the climax and happy ending where everything is resolved. When we stop expecting people to be perfect, we can like them for who they are. And when we stop expecting material possessions to complete you, we'll be surprised at how much pleasure you get in other areas of your life. When we stop expecting God to end all your troubles, we'll be surprised how much more God can do in our life."