After being away a few days it was difficult to rise and shine this morning. Cup in hand, sleepy eyed I stepped out onto the patio expecting a colorful morning sunrise. Looking up the morning was already breaking, the hues of gray and blue were calming, and the pinks were light and subtle. After a few minutes a brighter orange color lit on several passing clouds. While sweet and it wasn’t quite what I expected. With gratitude for being alive, and having my health, I sipped my coffee whispering up “thank you, I love you Lord,” before coming back inside to sit at the computer.

On our few days away, we stayed in a river cabin with some members of Hubs’ family. I’ve learned over the years with family get-togethers, you never know what’s gonna happen, or how people will behave and I have especially learned what and what not to expect. What I do expect when this clan joins together is this….. the wine/beer and laughter will flow until wee hours of the morning, someone will fall asleep first and be violated with lipstick and nail polish or jacked with in some way, there will be bets made and winner’s and loser’s at cards, dice or the bag toss game.

This year what I didn’t expect was a little float trip on the river. We all laughingly headed for the boat ramp, which I unknowingly referred to the night before as a marina, which received snorts of laughter. Some had already seen the area and knew what to expect from river activities. What can I say, I’m a lake kinda girl….okay who am I kidding, I am not an outdoors girl at all…but I want to be!

Entering the water with my chair/tube floating device with built in drink holder, I was a vision of loveliness. Lathered in sun screen I was expecting a leisurely time just sipping and floating to our short destination point. The water was coooold, the floatie thingy barely held me up, I spilt my drink and I was quickly pulled out into the current before anyone else could get situated, kinda like a bull coming out of the gate at a wild rodeo! A feeling of panic, fear and pleasure all rolled around in my mind as my heart raced. My eyes took in the phenomenal view for like two seconds, when I decided it was cool to pee in the river no one would ever know…all of a sudden a fishy starts pestering my back side! I let out the girliest shrieks and ol’gal can muster and began splashing as to run the pesky bugger off. My behavior strikes up panic and laughter in the crowd as I go speeding down the river. I then see a few of our rescuers at the stopping point. I didn’t expect to be moving so quickly, and I ask myself how will I get to the bank. I then start violently paddling my arms and legs to steer myself to land! Again, the crowd cracks up! As I head towards the weeded area near the bank the fear of stirring up a snake sets in and I’m like at motor boats speed trying to get out of the water. I hit land so I expected, but it was mud, and I was in it up to my shins so there was no quick departure from the water to avoid snakes. Again, the crowd goes wild! Covered in mud, and all of us chatting we jump in the back of a pick-up. Expecting to start moving, we sit awhile and the driver attempts putting it into gear a couple times before he realizes the engine is not on…..we all start rolling with laughter as the sky opens up and dumps a somewhat unexpected rain on us.

We seem to have realistic expectations about situations and people, but at times they are un-realistic. We make plans in our head, we make written lists, and we plan all sorts of life celebrations and events expecting they will turn out well. Too often though we are disappointed as the people we love hurt us, let us down. Children can be products of broken homes, have parents with addictions and experience abuse. Father’s raise sons who end up liking band not football, and couples in love can realize after the marriage license is signed, that what they expected of marriage is far from what they got. We seem to have realistic expectations about situations and people. But maybe they are unrealistic? Ol’gals who get into a floating device on a fast moving river with a drink, should expect some spillage.

Join me in remembering that sometimes even realistic expectations don’t go as planned. When this happens we can choose to be caught in the current of anger, hurt and live life shut down or we can splash like hell to make it to shore…. laughing all the way.

“Father, I am your child and you expect me to act like it, but I don’t always comply. You may be angry and hurt but you always love and forgive. Heal me and strengthen me, so that I may be like you even in those times when people and situations don’t go as I expect. Help me to see and accept the difference in realistic and unrealistic expectations. In Jesus name Amen.”

P.S. stay tuned…more experiences from this trip to follow