Great Expectations 

 Here is a list of :   Rules For Dealing With Women

·         The female always makes the rules.

·         The rules are subject to change at any time without prior notification.

·         No male can possibly know all the rules.

·         If the female suspects the male knows all the rules, she must immediately change some or all the rules.         

·         The female is never wrong.

·         If the female is wrong, it is due to a misunderstanding which was a direct result of something the male did or  said wrong.

·         If the above applies, the male must apologize  immediately for causing the misunderstanding.

·         An apology without flowers is not an apology.

·         The female may change her mind at any time.

·         The male must never change his mind at any time  without the expressed consent of the female.

·         The male may not point out that the female has  changed her mind.

·         The female has every right to be angry or upset at any  time.

·         The male must remain calm at all times, unless the female wants him to be angry or upset.

·         The female must, under no circumstances, let the male

know whether or not she wants him to be angry or upset. 

·         The male may not inquire if the female is angry or upset.

·         The male may not inquire when the female will be ready.

·         The male is expected to mind-read at all times. 

·         Any attempt to document these rules may result in bodily harm or death to the male.

Relationships are complicated!  When I do pre-marital counseling, I always spend some time talking about the expectations that each one has of the other as they enter into marriage (“I expect her to do all the cooking”, “I expect him to stay home and work in the yard on Saturdays”).  Sometimes without even realizing it, we expect a certain behavior from others.  And if they don’t exhibit that expected behavior, then we let them know that they have disappointed us.

God has expectations for us as well, though certainly nothing unreasonable. And, as in human relationships, when we fail to meet His expectations, we let Him down.  Listen to these words spoken to the people of Judah:

“My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. ² He dug it all around, removed its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it And also hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones.  ³And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge between Me and My vineyard.  ⁴ What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?”  ( Isaiah 5:1b-4 )