Disneyland expectations?

My parents had told me, "Javi we're going to Disneyland!" I can still remember how excited I was and then anxious! Perhaps the only mistake my parents made was telling me so far in advance that we were going to Disneyland. I was counting the days and everyone in the house knew it! (note this is Disneyland-California NOT Disney World-Orlando, FL:-)

photo © 2009 Loren Javier | more info (via: Wylio)


When the day came I obviously was the alarm clock for the entire household. Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! Mickey's waiting for me, Donald duck, Goofy:-) Let's go! I had high expectations, I knew that I was going to have fun. No I knew that I was going to the happiest place on earth! Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a small world, Space Mountain, the Haunted house (never really liked going in it), and so many more rides and of course the shows and the pictures with all of my friends that were waiting for me.

It's fascinating to me that even today you tell most kids they're going to Disneyland/Disney World and they, like I, go crazy. They're immediately filled with joy, anxiety because they wish it was now and of course expectations, they know that they will have an incredible time!

I wonder when we tell people about going to church what kind of expectations they have? Ok perhaps it's an unfair to compair going to church and going to the happiest place on earth. Or is it? Maybe you're reading this and you go to a church that you feel excited and expect something to happen. If you do praise God.

Perhaps though you're going to a place or have been going to a church in which you felt not much was going to happen. Same place, same people, same routine every week, very low expectations.

Funny thing is that the many times growing up going to Disneyland, every single time I was excited although it was nearly the same thing every time, with the exception of perhaps a few rides that were added over time. The food was still expensive, it's a small world was still a small world, and Space Mountain well was still riden in the dark. Yet I expected to have fun even though it was my, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc...time going!

Yes church services should be well planned and thought out, every part of it not just the sermon that's a given. Yet along these lines we need to be gathering together (the church) with high expectations. We need to teach our kids, youth, that God is going to do something as we (the church) gather together. We need to expect that God wants to do something as we (the church) gather together He's going to come down, rain down, and touch us in some way. We must expect that God is going to do something.

What is God going to do? Well that depends on you and me and what God may want to do in us, but also IF we are expecting God to do anything?

I'm hoping, anxiously expecting, looking forward, to what God is going to be doing as the church gathers together in this coming year: 2011. Hey...isn't the church gathered a preview to what will eventually be the happiest place (on the new) earth!

When you go to church are you expecting God to do something?

Javi