Expectations

Expectations.

Psalm 5:30 “In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.”

When we pray, we can expect God to hear our voice. When we pray, we can expect Him to respond. We can eagerly watch for His response. But is His response always what we expect?

Isaiah 42:16, 19 “I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, in paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them and rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, and I will not leave them undone…Who is blind but my servant, or as deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is so blind as he that is at peace with Me, or so blind as the servant of the Lord?”

Followers of Jesus are to be blind, those who are at peace with HIM are those with blind eyes. Why would God want us: His children, aroma, and lights, in this world to have blind eyes? To not know the way that we are going?

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder the things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”

Blind eyes allow us to let go of expectations, expectations that God will respond as He has in the past or in a way we perceive that He can and will. Not expectations that God will answer, but expectations in how He will answer. When we put expectations on how God will answer our prayers, provide for us, or lead us, we put Him in a box. We subconsciously limit God, and we limit our recognition of Him. If I pray for direction between options A or B, and receive none, I may feel like God hasn’t heard my prayer, or is asking me to be patient and continue to wait on Him. A season of waiting, right? Or…is there an option C, D, or even Z that I haven’t even fathomed yet, haven’t even imagined, and now am missing out on recognizing as His hand because I have limited God to A or B, or limited God to respond only to me as He has previously. 

Are my eyes blind enough to recognize when God makes a way in a wilderness, or life into a lifeless desert? Or am I so focused on the forest of perceived opportunity before me, or the hills of past provision behind me?

John 14:27, 29 “Peace I leave you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor let it be fearful…Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.”

Letting go of expectations is scary, because we don’t know what God will do, or how He will answer. But we have peace when we have His promises. He will never leave nor forsake us, He works all things together for our good, He loves us so much He sent His only Son to conquer the grave that we may know Him. Trusting in these promises, in the God who makes these promises (and more) brings peace. Allows us to close our eyes, and blindly follow. 

John 9: 39-41 “And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say ‘we see,’ your sin remains.””

Sin is limiting God. Sin is unbelief. Sin is lack of faith in the promises of God. Sin brings fear. Let us become blind to our expectations of God, blind to our expectations on how prayers should or could be answered, on possible paths that God may lead us down, on ways that God may provide for us. Our God is the God of the impossible. Why limit Him to only what we know in our finite minds to be possible?

Revelation 21:5 “Behold, I am making all things new.”

He is working even now, living and moving, redeeming and healing, creating and rejuvenating. Whether we recognize it or not, He is. Blind eyes to expectations allow us to see our God work in impossible ways, work miracles, work in ways and means that we could never fathom.

Let us be blind that we may see Jesus, the light of the world. 

May we be blind to future expectations, but have our sights set expectantly upon You. 

(belated) August Update

DOORS family photo with some staff, volunteers, and friends in Ggaba

I can’t believe another month has passed and August is over! Thank you for all of your prayers and support this past month, and emails/messages of encouragement. They make me look forward to checking my email each day (…or every other day…).

In Uganda, schools run January through December with 3 terms. Students have about 3 months of school, followed by about a month of vacation or holiday time. August has been a month of holiday, thus DOORS Primary School and the DOORS Homeschool (for the boys at DOORS Home) have not been in session. This time off has been nice as I continue to adjust and discern my role at the school, as well re-connect with the boys during their holiday time.

As the boys have been on holiday, we have been able to do some fun extra-curricular activities with them including a trip to the zoo in Entebbe, swimming in Lake Victoria, some home building projects including a new wood-burning stove, repelling at the local rock quarry, and even a couple of science-type experiments and contests.

Last week I was asked to lead such experiment/contest with the boys. What better way to get teenage boys excited to learn than incorporating some sort of competition with a lesson? So, I set the stage and gathered a handful of supplies from the yard making 4 equal piles of 10 mango tree leaves, 3 rocks, 3 pieces of charcoal, 1 yard of string, 1 foot of tape, 8 small twigs, and an egg from the chicken coup. The challenge: create an apparatus such that the egg will not break when dropped off of the top of our 10 foot ladder. The boys split into 4 teams of 2-3 and quickly got to work making their egg carriers, complaining that they needed more tape or supplies, and giving threatening looks in my direction when I refused to provide or allow other such supplies. After the building time limit of 30 minutes we all went outside and I had each group take turns explaining what they had made, why they had made it the way they had, and what other things they wished they had had to build it. Then the tallest boy from each group took turns climbing to the top of our ladder and dropping their egg apparatus to test their handiwork. Only one group succeeded in not breaking their egg: Bwanika, Sam and Ibrah.

After the excitement and smack talk died down a bit, we thought about the contest and challenge. Everyone agreed that they wished they could have had more supplies while building their apparatus. The teams that failed the challenge argued that they would have been able to succeed had I granted them the coveted extra tape, string or whatever. However, everyone also agreed that each team had the same supplies and because one team did succeed the challenge, the supplies given were sufficient to successfully complete the challenge (and even included some extras: i.e. rocks and charcoal). Each team had exactly what they needed to succeed. The difference was that only one team was able to correctly use the supplies before them.

God always gives exactly what we need to complete the seemingly impossible tasks before us. We question and ask for more of something, or for other supplies or talents, but the truth is, we have everything we need. We have the Holy Spirit abiding in us. (John 15) We just need to learn how to use what He has given us for His glory, proclaim His presence in us, and set forth with His confidence to accomplish the tasks He has put before us.

Many days here I feel like I am not the best person for the job and tasks before me. I wish I was more outgoing, or courageous, or charismatic, or linguistically gifted. But the truth is, God has given me everything I need to complete the tasks He has placed before me here. I shouldn’t shy away from the hard things, the intimidating things, the things that scare me to pursue. If He has put them in my path, He will and already has given me all I need to complete them. I need only learn how to use what He has given; I need to ask Him how.

Last month I wrote about being a new creation in Christ. We are new creations and need to proclaim His newness over us daily, proclaim His victory in us daily. We also must live in that newness, recognizing the impossible tasks before us, and the God of the impossible within.

Have a great day and month conquering the impossible with everything the Lord has already given you. Trust me, He’s already given you everything you need; first and foremost- faith.

By faith,

Ashley Levine

Prayer Requests:

               DOORS Home: Transitions at DOORS Home and a potential move and ministry growth in the coming months with the opening of transitional housing for the older 4 boys

               DOORS Primary School: Families in Namuwongo that attend DOORS Primary School, recent evictions in the slum have left many students and families without homes or places of work. Several have left for the village with no plans of returning, and many are still struggling to figure out what to do. Please pray for them and their safety, and our discernment in how to react as brothers and sisters in Christ.

               DOORS Ministries: The ministry as a whole has been facing much opposition daily, pray for strength as we endure and fight back with prayer. Also, our new volunteer and Sponsorship Director has just arrived. Please pray for her transition here, and that Uganda will start to feel like home more and more each day.

               DOORS Homeschool: the boys are beginning classes again on Monday, for focused minds and wisdom as they progress through their school work.

               Me, personally: I had the opportunity to travel with an engineering ministry here to the northern region and serve as a public health consultant as they draw up plans for a clinic in the region. I just returned Friday and seeking what other public health opportunities He has for me. (more info on trip to come)

​Ibrah in the DOORS Home front yard. Joy abounds here