I pick a word every year and have for several years now as a suggestion from author, speaker, and friend, Pam Farrel. My mentor. This devotional pops up on my daily reading in my Logos.com software. It has haunted me since I read it. It couldn’t be more right on for me.
So at the risk of boring you I am reposting a segment of a previous post called: 2017 Dealing with Disappointment.
Quote from my devotional, Read What I Wish I’d Known in one year, by many Authors one being Susie Larson. She is a radio host, speaker, and author of 10 books. You can connect with her at http://susielarson.com/: (Pam Farrel, my friend and mentor is also an author in this book)
“There is a big difference between expectation and expectancy.
Expectation is premeditated disappointment, whereas expectancy involves faith.
To cling to your expectation is to decide ahead of time how things need to turn out for you to be okay.
To embrace expectancy is to engage your faith that God will move on your prayers and that he may come through in a way that’s different than you expect.”
I had said in that post that I had not committed to a Word for the Year yet. Well I have now.
It is Expectancy.
I need to work on this shift in my way of thinking. I don’t like the idea of premeditated disappointment. I have seen it at work in others and realized how ugly it is on me.
So there you have it, short and sweet.
Praying your year, now in the 2nd month is starting out good and that you too have chosen a Word to meditate on and ponder all year. It is such a rich blessing and good thing to do. Thank you Pam for encouraging us year after year to do this.
Psalm 40:1–3 (The Message)
1I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.2He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn’t slip.
3He taught me how to sing
the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God.
Now engage your faith that God will move on your prayers and that he may come through in a way that’s different than you expect.
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Rest In His Word 
This is a powerful post, Shelley! I love the definitions of expectation and expectancy. I never thought of that before (but now I won’t forget it!). What a great word for 2017. It’s a word that smacks of faith and adventure. I encourage you to write down all the adventures you encounter this year and put them in a basket or bucket labeled “Expectancy!” At the end of the year, read them with gratitude to the Lord.
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Thanks Dawn, I know what you mean. I just loved how the explanation slapped me up side the head. great idea about the keeping track of adventures and expectations I explore.
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