Dealing with disappointment

As I write these words most of our lives have been turned upside down again. There are many of us who have just had the wind taken out of our sails. Covid-19 has played another hand and it has caused major disappointment for families who were planning on spending precious time together. None of us really expected the new variant of the virus to strike so quickly, but it has. And so now we deal with the disappointment. The question is how do we cope?

In truth, I am probably not the best person to answer this question, as usually I am bad at dealing with sudden disappointment. However, I am grateful for the words and wisdom of those who have also experienced this emotion and have discovered the capacity to handle it. 

“If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment.” - Henry David Thoreau

"Disappointments are inevitable; discouragement is a choice." - Charles Stanley

I think this quote is very helpful for us in today's climate. We very easily slip into discouragement, but I pray that we don't allow our disappointments to way to heavily on our hearts. May we turn to Christ and seek His peace.

Proverbs 23:18 - You will be rewarded for this; your hope will not be disappointed.

Living in Grace
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What to do with your disappointment?!

So when you face disappointment what do you do with it?
Shout? 
Get angry? 
Seek revenge? 
Feel depressed?
When Samuel was disappointed he turned to God and he prayed about his disappointment all night!

1 Samuel 15:11-12 - "Samuel was angry when he heard this. He prayed his anger and disappointment all through the night."

If you carry on reading this passage in 1 Samuel you will note that he prayed through is disappointment first before he confronted Saul. This is a good lesson for most of us - praying first can help us avoid compounding our situation by speaking out of anger!

Living in Grace
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Feeling abandoned?

Have you ever felt let down or even abandoned by someone else? Yes, I thought so!
It happens more than we would like, but I suppose it is a part of being human. People are not perfect and they will let us down at some point - just like we will do the same with others.

The good news for us, is that when we feel that people (or God) have abandoned us, this will not last forever. God is not in the habit of letting us down, and God will reveal his compassion to us in due course. Remember that in this Lenten journey, Jesus understood what it was like to be abandoned - he endured the pain of this experience so that we could find our hope and salvation.

If you are feeling let down by someone, why not turn to Jesus and allow Him to lift you up?
If you sense that you have abandoned someone, then perhaps God is prompting you to apologise and to make things right?

"For no one is abandoned
    by the Lord forever.
³² Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion
    because of the greatness of his unfailing love.
³³ For he does not enjoy hurting people
    or causing them sorrow." - Lamentations 3:31-33

"Basic human contact - the meeting of eyes, the exchanging of words - is to the psyche what oxygen is to the brain. If you're feeling abandoned by the world, interact with anyone you can." - Martha Beck

Basic human contact - the meeting of eyes, the exchanging of words - is to the psyche what oxygen is to the brain. If you're feeling abandoned by the world, interact with anyone you can. Martha Beck
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/abandoned.html

Living in Grace
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Finite disappointment - Infinite HOPE

"We must accept finite disappointments, BUT
never lose infinite HOPE." - Martin Luther King Jnr.

We had a look at "Dealing with Disappointment" in our sermon series yesterday. My friend, Collin spoke clearly about how we can get a 'grip' on disappointment in our lives. We all face this at some stage - broken promises, shattered dreams, hurt feelings, lost opportunities. None of us is immune from this kind of hurt and brokenness.

The danger with disappointment is that it threatens to leave us in the pit of despair. We should always remember that with Jesus we can hold onto Infinite Hope. Disappointment may last a while, but our hope in Christ can last for ever.

Romans 5:5 - "And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."


Living in Grace
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Dealing with disappointment

We all face disappointment at some stage in our lives. It usually comes when we least expect it and we are ill prepared for it. Take the following scenarios as examples of disappointment:

• losing your job
• the end of a relationship
• a broken dream
• failing an exam
• getting bad news from the doctor
• a broken promise
• an unanswered prayer
• __________________
• __________________

I am not sure what disappointment you are dealing with at the moment, but remember that God is with us in these times of trial. Even though Jesus knew the 'frailties' of humanity, before he even called the disciples to follow him, I am sure he was greatly disappointed when they let him down.

Revelation 5:4 - "Then I wept with disappointment..."

Proverbs 13:12 - "Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around."

ACTION: So, what do you do when you are faced with disappointment. We can't continue to wallow in our own self-pity. Here is a wonderful suggestion from the Bible.

Samuel prayed his disappointment and anger..... YES, you did read correctly - He prayed it! He expressed it - He told God how he felt - He grieved - He vented - He allowed himself the freedom to speak it out. It was in doing this that his healing started.

"Samuel was angry when he heard this. He prayed his anger and disappointment all through the night." - 1 Samuel 15:11-12

Don't dwell on your disappointments - pray them out loud!

Living in Grace
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Dealing with disappointment

It is inevitable. You will have to confront this at some stage or another....disappointment! It takes various forms, but usually involves something/someone not meeting our expectations.

Disappointments happen at work, in our homes, in school contexts and even in the Church. When these knocks come from 'strangers' we tend to get over them a little easier, but when people close to us let us down, then the disappointment hurts even more acutely. There are times when these disappointments seem to come from God and they leave us feeling bewildered.

Whatever your disappointments may be, know that Jesus Christ had to deal with his fair share of let downs and hurt. One of the men he chose to be his closest confidant (Judas) betrayed Jesus for a few coins. Some members of his own family misunderstood him at times. The people he initially came to bring the Gospel too, rejected him and plotted to kill him. If anyone understands your pain, it is Jesus.

Paulo Coelho - “When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes. Disappointment, defeat, and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way.” 

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” - Alexander Pope

What are you planning to do with your disappointments today?

Living in Grace
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Dealing with disappointment

We all face disappointment at some stage in our lives. I think it is how we deal with that disappointment that ultimately defines who we are as people. So how do you handle it? Does it leave you on the carpet or can you trust God to guide you through the rough waters?

Hope always has the ability to triumph over our disappointments.

Charles Stanley - Disappointment is inevitable. But to become discouraged, there's a choice I make. God would never discourage me. He would always point me to himself to trust him.

Hope is tomorrow's veneer over today's disappointment. - Evan Esar 

Put your trust in God and allow him to journey with you.

Living in Grace
D3LM3