Expectations

Expectations ruin relationships. When I expect something in return for something I’ve given, what does that say about me? That I’m selfish. This is what destroys happiness. A gift is not a gift when you expect something in return.

Christian hands never clasp

And He doesn’t give gifts for gain

Because a gift can never stop being a gift—

It is always meant to be given.

I am supposed to be Christ-like. God gives us gifts—of grace, joy, friendships, love, LIFE—so that we can serve the world and share them. The more thanks we give, the more He gives back to us, and we in turn should continue spreading it around! It’s supposed to be an endless cycle. “The way through the pain is to reach out to others in theirs.” That is how we are healed. We share ourselves and serve someone else, giving to them, and God heals us with happiness.

Why is this so hard? It’s hard for me, and it’s hard for others, which then makes the service even harder for both and THEN it becomes this backwards cycle that is going the opposite way God intended. Expectations kill happiness. It is hard to ignore selfishness because it makes the next person feel selfish, and then the selfishness just keeps multiplying until everyone is sitting around complaining to themselves! I want to make it stop. I can definitely say that I’m surprised by what the hardest part of my seven months in India really is.