We have a saying in our family…

“Manage your Expectations.”

Most days, I am learning to do this. Learning as I am a mom of 3, that some days things just don’t go the way you had planned. Somedays, those “to-do lists” just get moved to tomorrow. You know, “Why do today what you can put off till tomorrow.” Ummm…Maybe I have that backwards…but that is how I manage my expectations some days.

Sometimes those expectations just can not be predicted. Today, in this economic world there are things going on each day that can not be expected or even predicted. That is why I put in my faith in an ALL-KNOWING God!

I think God has been teaching me something about managing my expectations recently and I wanted to share it with you.

I spoke about here a time about 6 weeks ago when I had already planted my fall/winter garden and during the blanket of night some unseen critter came and feasted on my harvest! I was ready to explode when I discovered it!

After calming down and relying on my brilliant husband and father in law to help me with this project – {THANKS!} I realized things were all in the hands of God…and my new fence that they would soon build!

Isn’t it stunning? I immediately got back to playing in the dirt and planted more veggies in the ground not to waste any time. I began beaming with pride once again at our accomplishment of the garden. But more importantly, that it was protected…or so I thought.

THEN…during the night, once again…the unseen apparently jumped over the fence because you know…the broccoli is always better on the OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE!

I kid you not, we have a resident deer that has obviously decided to continue in his calisthenics routine and jump the fence to partake of the entire raised bed of broccoli. I am beginning to think that my family maybe isn’t suppose to eat broccoli this season! {grin}

I have learned to not expect a fence to keep ALL critters out!

But get this…things get better ~ even more unexpected things happen. Over in another part of our property we have surprises blooming up with all kinds of goodies.

Let me take you back to this summer…we had a garden full of watermelons that we absolutely loved eating and spitting!

During our seed spitting contests, some how…some way…our little girls spit like they were in the olympics of spitting and we now have watermelon’s growing next to my water hose…No where near my garden! It just popped up out of no where.

The first comment that came to my mind when I saw it was, “Bloom where you are planted!”

Funny how sometimes, our expectations of how life is supposed to happen…is not what we expect. It can either take the breath out of your sails or set your sails in a different direction. Blooming where you are planted may just be accepting where you are, what you are doing and realizing that God is in control. Our Father knows where you are and why he placed you there in that position in life.

I am just reminded of a God that protects me anyway. He loves me with a never-ending love. And directs my path when I seek His face daily.

Let’s take a look a little closer at this watermelon plant. The bloom has taken the positive side of not being in the garden…look at the flower and how it dances in the shadow of the leaves. This spoke volumes to me as I took the picture.

Dancing in the shadows of the Leaves…

Some days we are called to allow the shelter of God’s protection keep us safe and do what they are meant to do to shelter us from the world. You see, whether it was what seemed like the right place to grow watermelons or not, the bloom decided to do what it was supposed to do and make the best of the situation.

Sometimes that is all it is to managing your expectations…

Learn to expect the unexpected no matter where you are planted. God is already there anyway!

Blessings from the garden today!