Hello!
On the 16th of December every year PE has the opening of the season. For most people the highlight of this is the fireworks display! I have not been able to go watch it in person for many years, so last year I was determined to go.
The initial plan was to go watch the fireworks at the beachfront, so that we could be a part of the crowd, “Ooh”ing and “Aah”ing with every explosion of light. But for various reasons (my poor time management being the main one), we left far too late to make it to the display at the beach. So, we turned to Plan B: go up the hill and watch the display from the Heatherbank (Charlo) reservoir. The reservoir provides an excellent view of the city, allowing you to see all the way to the beach front. You’ll see the fireworks, but you won’t hear them.
The reservoir was also packed, but we managed to squeeze into a space just in time for the show! The fireworks were dazzling, even from a distance. And getting to sit quietly on that hilltop, I was able to enjoy a different kind of wonder to what I would have felt on the beach. Like sitting in a thunderstorm admiring the lightning versus sitting by a window watching gently falling rain.
But the greatest entertainment on the hilltop was the kids. For some of the kids running around, the fireworks display was not impressive at all. “I expected more”, “I thought they’d be louder” or “I’m bored”, was to be heard from a number of families all over the hill. Sitting right next to us though, was a child with a very different perspective, who watched with rapt attention, getting excited with every flash of light. Eventually, after a particularly large sparkler went off, the child declared, “This is the best moment of my life!”
The others might have grumbled because they’d experienced something nicer or their expectations outweighed reality, but for at least one person on that hill, those fireworks will always be filled with wonder. I suppose the main difference between the two views was expectation. A different perspective entirely changes an event.
While we were rushing to get to the hilltop in time for the display, I was cross with myself for causing us to miss the beachfront display. But at the same time, I was not about to let the expectation of wonderfully loud explosions of colour up close, ruin the reality of still getting to view the fireworks.
Often, we get frustrated when things have not gone our way. We don’t throw tantrums like toddlers (or kids on reservoirs) but we might fixate on the one thing that has gone wrong and allow it to cloud the rest of the day. Or when all our expectations were not met, we fail to see those that were. It is a matter of perspective.
Perspective is a hard thing to change though. And constantly trying to view the world with a glass half full attitude can be exhausting and unrealistic. So where do we find the balance between a positive outlook on life and toxic optimism? When expectations don’t meet reality, how should we react?
We are well within our rights to be disappointed by a turn of events, and certainly to be held accountable when we are the ones who did not meet the reasonable expectations of others. Those going with me to the fireworks had every right to be upset that they missed the show at the beachfront because of me, and I certainly need to make amends.
But it is what comes next that matters. Instead of dwelling on the mistakes made, it is important to take what you have and be adaptable with it. It is important to be willing to embrace change, otherwise when we rigidly hold to old expectations, we will always be disappointed.
In this New Year many of us will have expectations for ourselves. Both New Year’s resolutions and plans that we have for the year, big and small. It is likely that many of these plans will shift. It is likely that in this New Year we will encounter changes we did not anticipate. Through these changes, it is important to not be stubborn but to grow with the new direction. To acknowledge the new possibilities that might come with change.
Through it all, it is important to hold onto the one thing that never changes. We are promised God is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. God is our anchor in the unexpected and knows what the outcome will be, when things change. When life changes and we are forced to change with it, God is the Rock on which we can still stand firm. This year, whatever fireworks you are looking forward to, I pray you will know Who to rely on should the plans go a bit haywire, and that you will be willing to still find the wonder in the change.
Much love in Christ
Heather P