The Death of Illusion

Every disappointment offers the possibility for a decent reframe. Now, we can rush to cover our angst and anxiety by finding a way to reframe negatives into positives. I so wish I had this natural capacity! But there are other options. We can consider the possibility that disillusion is the death of illusion and when put that way, it may be better to excavate for a more profound rewrite of our expectations than to spackle over the deep cracks in our foundational walls of belief.

Jesus did respond to John's question posed in the gospel of Matthew. (When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Matthew 11:2 NIV)

He asked his disciples to go and tell John what their observations of Jesus are - the blind are given their sight back, the lame are walking around unassisted, the lepers are getting a thorough cleaning, the deaf can now hear and the dead are raised. Oh, and the poor have good news brought to them while everyone who manages to not take offense at Jesus is blessed. (Matthew 11:2-10)

Blessed are those who see what God is doing because they have let go of their illusions about what they think. he should be accomplishing. Blessed are those who find joy in the ONE who is healed, the few who manage to not take offense at Jesus' outrageous claims to love the unlovely. Blessed are those who set aside their expectations and pick up on the vibe that Jesus keeps throwing down. The truth is, I had a poor image of God. I expected him to beckon to my call. He is not so easily distracted.

What expectations of God, yourself and others are tripping you up these days?