After our first year of global life, my husband and I learned to stop using the word, surely, because it would inevitably lead to disappointment.

Surely, this road will be a good one since it is a major national road.

Surely, they sell (fill in the blank with any American food item) at the main shop in town. 

Surely, it will only take a few minutes to go to the bank. 

Surely, it will be easy to get internet for our house.

We had expectations that certain aspects of life in Ireland would be a given, and then they weren’t. So we ended up disappointed and frustrated until we remembered our cross-cultural training on the importance of adapting and accepting new ways of living. We would also remind ourselves of our ministry calling which made these pivots and adjustments to living here worth the pain and effort of re-learning life skills. 

Having expectations isn’t necessarily wrong, but we must hold them loosely, with an open hand. The only One who deserves the word, surely, is our awesome Father because His promises alone are certain and trustworthy. We can count on the many promises He gives us in His Word.

Surely, God’s love for me will never fail.

Surely, God forgives me and removes my sins as far as from east to west.

Surely, this world will bring me trouble, but I have peace in Jesus who has overcome the world.

Surely, I have a Helper in this life to counsel, convict, and comfort me.

My husband and I smirk now when one of us starts a sentence with the word “surely”. We give each other a side glance, and then laugh at the notion that we expect things to be a certain way. But it also reminds me of the only One who does deserve my “surely”.