Expectations

I am pondering the effect that expectaions have on my own personal anger. We all have them, right? We expect people to talk to us with respect, treat us as adults and not children, respect our boundaries, and you fill in the blank. The problem with my expectations is that they are often not met by other people. When, for example a person talks to me with disrespect, or tells me what to do as if I am a child, then my anger tends to vent onto that person. However, they are not really the cause of my anger, they are just the trigger. The cause is that I have high expectations of how they are supposed to treat me. I must learn to submit my expectations to my Higher Power and use these times as spiritual growth times. Suffering, when responded to correctly, always brings spiritual growth because it is one of the callings to which we are called if we are Christian. When we choose to suffer instead of getting angry, God is then free to work through us as His instrument. My personal anger gets in the way of allowing the Holy Spirit to work through me. This idea is particularly important when we talk about significant, commited relationships in life. This is the proper response to unmet expectations in marriage and family unit relationships. Also with God ordained authorities in my life. These relationships represent what I believe are "Unchangeables" in my life. Because they are so sacred and unchangeable, then I must give my expectations to the Lord who has the power to change them. If I take matters into my own hands, then I becaome angry. It's simple but not easy.