Expectations

For the past 46 years we have traveled to so many places in the world that it takes a lot to impress us. I am not intentionally being snobby about this, but I have seen so many museums and churches/cathedrals/mosques/abbeys that I really don’t like to visit them anymore. 

There are some cities/mountains/beaches/ attractions/historical sites which have set our standards so high that we have become critical—OK, and a bit snobby, I admit. 

 This past week we have been on vacation in Curaçao, We didn’t know anyone who had traveled there, but after considering St. Lucia, Belize and Curaçao we chose Curaçao. It is a small island country in the Dutch Antilles with a population of 150,000, so we thought we could get away from a lot of people for a few days and enjoy the warm weather. What we did not know is that two to three cruise ships per day drop anchor in Willemstad so their passengers can spend the day in Curaçao! So much for getting away from a lot of people. 

 We rented a car for a couple days and saw some beautiful beaches. Most people would think we are crazy as we did not even get into the ocean. Neither Cheryl nor I like sand. We like to walk on the beach but getting into the ocean is something we don’t usually do. We have lived in coastal cities in the USA and West Africa and in each of the three different places we lived sand was ever present in our vehicles, our houses and I am sure in our diets. While living at the edge of the Sahara—the largest beach in the world!—we have had our fill of sand. 

 So, it is logical to ask, “Why did you go to a Caribbean island for vacation?” I would say, “To get away from the cold weather.” All our lives Cheryl has been the cold natured one in our family. Now it’s me. In the winter I wear a fleece vest around the house each day and bundle up when I go outside. 

 The weather this past week has been ideal—highs in the 82-85 range and lows in the 74-78 range. If it rains, it is light and only for a few minutes. I don’t remember sweating at all as the wind was always blowing. 

 I had purchased new snorkeling equipment as it had been several years since I had the opportunity to go snorkeling. Each day Cheryl asked me if I was going snorkeling. We visited some movie quality beaches on the island, but we mainly looked at the beautiful landscape and watched people sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, or cliff diving. I finally told her that since I had been snorkeling in some of the best locations in the world, that my expectations were high. How could Curaçao snorkeling compare to Cayman Islands, the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Croatia or Sharm el Sheikh located at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea? 

 Sharm el Sheikh is definitively my all-time favorite. The beautiful coral reefs dropped off suddenly into a bottomless depth that was absolutely loaded with fish and other sea creatures in brilliant colors and in all sizes. It was like swimming in the world’s largest aquarium. 

 So, when one of our Curaçao resort friends from Switzerland told me about her snorkeling experience, I lost all interest. She was so animated while telling me what fun she had, and I asked her what did you see. She replied, “I saw a fish!” I no longer had any desire to snorkel in Curaçao. 

 All of us have had experiences when our expectations have not been met. Eating in a restaurant that has been advertised as “one of the best…” and your meal tasted like a warmed-over Lean Cuisine, or your favorite college football team is built up to be a top 10 competitor but finishes the year at 8 and 5, or one of your family members lets you down. 

 Of all the expectations that turned out to be duds, the ones that I hate the most are those that disappointed God.  I build myself up to be more like Him and then I let Him down. I promise to be more faithful with my quiet time and I get consumed in something that seemed important, but in the light of eternity, it was actually trite. 

 “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” This quote is from William Carey, founder of the English Baptist Missionary Society in 1792, lifelong missionary to India, and known as the “father of the modern missionary movement.” It is not about mediocrity. God expects us to do great things and receive great things from Him. He is only satisfied when we have done our best.