This is a very simple post – and probably not a long one either… 🙂

My wife and I have been going through marriage counselling and been really blessed to come to an understanding on expectation – especially within marriage…

I’ve shared on this before but there’s another chapter to add now…

The counsellor guy Richard shared with me previously on the difference – in so many words – between desire and expectation…

That really set me free and now my wife has also been set free…

It’s amazing really, we’ve been married for over thirteen years but this issue of the expectations – either silent or non-silent – which we’ve “held” over each other during those years has really stopped us from really being able to enjoy each other in the way – the open way – which we are now starting to enjoy each other…

It’s really beautiful and simple…

All our expectations are meant to be in the Lord…

Whatever He gives to us through our partners in marriage is His Gift to us…

Just because it says in the bible that the husband should do this and the wife should do this doesn’t mean we can have an expectation on our husband or wife or “snap to it” and do that…

All things occur in the Lord’s Timing and for His Glory – any good and perfect gift is from above… 🙂

Any good thing which “comes our way” through our wife or our husband is from the Lord and is a gift from the Lord…

This is so freeing – so practically freeing – my wife and I have been able to relate over the last week in this place of “no expectations” as friends – not saying we’re perfect but we’ve seen it and we’re very happy in this place…

This is what true love is all about – not “using” or “being nice” to the other person for “what you can get out of it” but genuinely laying down your life “unto death” and “giving” yourselves to each other in unconditional love…

This is what we’re beginning to taste and it is very beautiful – very beautiful in the spiritual realm…

Expectations – on other people – bring anger…

When all our expectations are on the Lord and we don’t put “time limits” on Him but just offer up those expectations – because they are words which He has spoken – promises which He has made – back to the Lord then there is no anger, only joy and the Peace which comes in being surrendered to Him…

Praise Him that His Way works and that we are safe in His Hands…

Force or expectation doesn’t get us anywhere – no matter how well we “hide it” or try to keep it inside of ourselves – we can only be “free” when we release it to the Lord…

At the heart of the expectation on other people – even if they are “‘godly’ expectations” is selfishness not unconditional love…

Even if there’s nothing “in it” for ourselves that is the very time when we can experience God’s unconditional love flowing through us and this – this experience of His unconditional love flowing through us – is what shows us that we have practically overcome the world…

Love to you all,

Andrew