In 2015, a number of news outlets picked up on a Reddit post with a less-than-favorable review about Yellowstone National Park. The hand-written note reads: “Our visit was wonderful but we never saw any bears. Please train your bears to be where guests can see them. This was an expensive trip to not get to see bears.” You just can hear the frustration this family felt at having high expectations, only to have their hopes unmet.
If you scroll through the comments associated with that post (warning: language is occasionally … colorful), you’ll also find enough similar questions from tourists to Park employees to realize, for some people, there definitely is a sense that their expectations can exert control over something uncontrollable, like the wild nature of a national park. Questions like:
- Can’t you do something about the sulfur smell?
- What time does the park let the animals out of their cages, and when is feeding time?
- And my personal favorite (during a light snowfall in June) – they wouldn’t turn on Old Faithful in this weather, would they?
How often do we expect to control God in the same way? We expect Him to do our bidding, according to our schedule and timeframe, and to conform to our wishes, so we can get what we want when we want it.
We make our plans, and if things don’t work out the way we anticipate, we complain to or question God because we misunderstand how much control we think we have. Instead, it is our responsibility to figure out what His will and purpose is, and then conform our expectations and schedules accordingly.
Expecting God to submit to our control will is like expecting Yellowstone to train its bear population. As it says in Proverbs, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).
And sometimes, that means leaving expectations unmet no matter how much time, energy and money we invest in a situation.
How are you trying to train God?
This reminds me of a quote that I heard but can’t attribute to one person: “If you want to make God smile, tell him your plans.” One of the hardest thing I’ve had to do (and continue to struggle with) is to be open to listening and accepting of God’s plans for me. And sometimes they have to hit you on the head before they are recognizable! Thank you Sean!
I know – frustrating, right? We want answers, and all we get is “Be still,” or “Be patient.” Guess if you go through it enough it starts to sink in … eventually.
Just this morning I had to decide:
Am I going to give this life to God for the day in order to serve Him?
Or
Am I going to give this day to God in order for Him to serve this life?
I expect to see bears.
Don’t we all, brother! Not only do I expect to see them, I expect to see them at a certain location and at the exact time of my choosing. And then God just laughs.