Love & Romance

As I opened the package of a new tea blend the most beautiful aroma filled the air. I was excited, as the aroma of this tea had my expectations very high for a delightful tea adventure. Welcome to our time of reflection together my friend…

Shall I set the scene…

It’s a hot summer’s day, I have brewed a pot of this new blend & placed some cups, treats & milk jug on the tray to transport them to the garden, to sit under our beautiful Jacaranda tree where hubby is joining me for our afternoon cuppa together.

I pour the hot amber liquid into my cup…I lift it to my lips, closing my eyes to linger in the moment of that very first sip of a new taste…but…my expectations were sadly not met…the flavor is bland & bitter!

Expectations are interesting aren’t they…

We often place huge expectations on love & romance, especially on our significant others.

Although the problem with expectations is that they are constructed from our own perceptions involving a mixture of imaginings, beliefs & hopes which have quite often been influenced by fictional romance.

We combine these, to have an anticipated imagined outcome. This can put undue pressure on a relationship.

Giving an unrealistic level of expectancy which may result in disappointment (& quite often does). Then hurt, frustration & a feeling of resentment begins to fester.

When this happens we need to stand back & take a good look at ourselves…to get a good view of exactly what we had been expecting & why we feel the way we do when this expectation wasn’t met. Journaling is good for this…

We need to look at the situation practically, as our partner may not be able to meet our expectations… Did they even know we had these expectations?

If we thought we had communicated our expectations, had they actually understood…to gain further insight please read Language of relationships…

You see dear friend, it’s very unhealthy to have expectations of our partner that they can never meet because they’re unrealistic…

A good question to to ask ourselves with Valentine’s Day approaching is what are we expecting from our partner?

What romantic notions are we imaging in our minds? The romantic gestures seen in movies, marketing & romance novels are not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea for romance!

My dear hubby often says he doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body (this is the man who proposed marriage on Valentine’s Day!)…thus, he gets anxious when these type of days come along thinking he will disappoint…But that has never been the case!

Because I don’t have expectations of a market driven romantic experience! Rather, I see a man who demonstrates his love to me through the little things in our life together that come from a gentle, kind & loving heart.

Although he doesn’t think these things are romantic, I see them as such…to me they’re precious acts of love!

What about the expectations we have of the lover of our souls?

You know those prayers we prayed in faith expecting the answer to those situations to go how we imagined!

Then when those prayers don’t get answered in the way we had hoped…for a bad situation to change or for our loved one to be healed, we get a little disappointed & yes if we’re honest maybe a little resentful towards God.

However this isn’t how God works & we need to understand this important truth…You see He didn’t promise to fulfill our expectations for prayer in the way we think they should go.

Rather He promised to answer in a way that fulfills His will for our life & the lives of those we love which is far wiser then anything we could imagine. For He has said…

“I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to give you future & a hope…”

Jeremiah 29: 11

Being kinder in our expectations…

May we include understanding, love & respect, acknowledging the lovely things our partners do.

Recognizing God’s love working in the everyday little acts of consideration & kindness to us…Relishing the beautiful moments with a loving spouse.

Now that’s a special blend for the perfect cup of romance in my book!

Until next time…

Jennifer

 

 

Jennifer is a published author, discover more in The Book Nook

 

 

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