Can you imagine how chaotic life would be without expectations being set and met?
If there is a hell that is what hell is...a place where there are no rules, no discourse, no communication, no interaction, no celebrations, no remembrances, no structure, no family rituals, no family or friends unifying around a common table. The picture is that of stark loneliness.
Humans thrive on expectations, setting them and meeting them. The outward manifestation of discipline is meeting expectations. Without discipline what can you possibly achieve? Help teach your children the importance of meeting expectations. Let them see firsthand how you fulfill expectations, be a person of your word and a person who is an obedient member of a family unit and friend circle.
However, when things don’t go as expected and we are living in what feels like a hell where nothing seems to be following our expectations know that Mary and Joseph didn’t deliver Jesus as most would expect, they were turned away but still charged on to manifest spiritual greatness.
Do two tasks (just a half-hour) together with your child this week. Set aside 20 minutes to identify three expectations (weekly, monthly, yearly) that you can target, have your child do the same. Then set aside 10 minutes with your child to think about expectations you have (independently or as a family) failed to fulfill and figure out what you can do to remedy it.
