However, something else was constantly running though my mind. You see, I have done training like this before in 2012 and the experience was awesome. However, I had no idea what to expect other than my supervising chaplain constantly telling me to, "treat this like a deployment". So I arrived in KY in 2012 with no expectations other than the hope I would do well and God would give me what I need. But this time I have something to compare it to, I have some experience, I have memories from 2012. Would I do as well as I did before? What will be the same and what will be different? How quickly will I be able to bond with the cadre and the cadets? All were questions running through my mind.
Expectations can be the very recipe for failure because we come to a situation or event expecting one thing and very often our expectations never happen. HAHA how many family get togethers or even church functions had certain expectations and they were never meet and after the event there is much disappointment. Ironically the hotel I'm staying at just for the night not only had a Bible in the room but the Bible was open-I have a habit seeing where open Bibles are turned to. Psalms 78-80 were in display for me to read and so I read it learning something very important. Most of the chapters deal with the complete disobedience of God's people and God's response to them. Yet, the chapters also talk about how God restored his people, claiming the tribe of Judah and raising up David, God being like a Shepard to his people and a plea to his people to return to him. But what caught my eye was that God's people quickly forgot what God did for them despite his actions were in complete display for the world to see. And there laid my lesson for the night.
Yes, I should come with expectations. Expectations in that as God displayed his mighty works for everyone to see during the Exodus and times far past, he also showed himself in 2012 and he promises to be with me still. Therefore, should I compare every detail from the past, by no means, but I should remember that God has already planed this experience and that should be my expectation.