Thanks for tuning in to the Christian Science Daily Lift.

Joining us today is Cher Coffron, shares from Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Recently, while preparing for a trip to visit a loved one,

I noticed how easy it was to rehearse

expectations. How I thought this person might act, what conversations might be difficult,

or what patterns might repeat themselves. Turning to prayer, I realized I needed to reset those

expectations. Instead of anticipating behavior, I chose to expect love.

Love, in this context, is a biblical name for God. I turned my thought to God, love, and expected to

experience only harmony and love. In other words, I expected to see the reflection

of divine love in my life. Christian science teaches that God is the source and substance of

everyone's true identity. As science and health with key to the scriptures by Mary Beaker Eddy explains,

the real man, and that's a spiritual term for all of us, is not a flawed mortal,

but the spiritual expression of God, whole, loving, and complete. Holding to this truth, I prayed to meet my loved one where they were, without judgment,

while steadfastly knowing who they truly are as God's child.

During that visit, this kind of love became practical.

Instead of reacting to appearances or old expectations,

I found myself listening more, loving more, and feeling less burdened. I wasn't trying to change

anyone. I was bearing witness to what God already knows. As I held to this spiritual view, moments that might

once have felt strained unfolded with greater peace and ease. I caught a clearer glimpse of the

real man, not defined by circumstance or past behavior, but governed by divine love.

This experience showed me that when we set our expectations to see only the love that is God

and its expression, we will feel the presence of love, God, and with it, relationships are lifted.

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