Great Expectations

I recently read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I had actually read(skimmed) this book before back in 7^th grade, but as with most forced reading assignments, I didn’t really retain much of the book. Great Expectations is the story of Pip, a young boy with whom the reader goes on a journey as he grows from childhood to adulthood. Pip is endowed, by an anonymous benefactor, with a large fortune. He makes certain assumptions along the way as to who that person might be and begins to construct his life based on certain premises arising from that assumption. The love of Pip’s life is a cold hearted girl named Estella. Pip builds his whole world around the idea of making himself attractive to Estella.

Upon discovering who the real benefactor is Pip is disappointed and repulsed. The man who is responsible for his great fortunes is actually, in Pip’s eyes, someone to be looked down upon and avoided. As Pip journeys from poverty to wealth and back to poverty and indebtedness I began to identify with his internal plight. Pip becomes very ashamed of where he comes from and strives greatly to change what he cannot, ultimately change-the past. He begins to despise the life and those individuals who really love him most. His great dissatisfaction with this life and his yearning to live a life that he sees as being better lead, in the end, to his downfall. It is only when he has fallen that he realizes what truly matters most in life.

The most poigniant message from Great Expectations for me is a lesson taught by the Book of Mormon prophet Alma. Alma was a tremendous leader and missionary. He was a very righteous man. His desire was to have the ability to proclaim the word of God to the entire world. Alma, however, humbly acknowledges his limitations before the Lord and makes the profound statement: “I ought to be content with the things with the Lord has allotted unto me.(Alma 29:4)”

In recent months I have felt as if I am in a great tug-o-war with God. Pulling away from what He would have me pursue and become toward what I would rather become. At times this conflict has been all encompassing, causing me to pray and plead with the Lord. It is a struggle to realize that what I want may not be what He wants for me. The great key is to trust in God and realize that He wants infinitely more for me than I want for myself. Where I may desire riches and wealth, He wants to give me ALL that He has. What a profound gift and what Great Expectations can be mine and all of ours.