When disappointment happens

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (Prov. 3:5-8)

Disappointment defined: to be discouraged or sad because of an unmet expectation regarding someone or something.

When something goes wrong

It’s never pleasant when something goes wrong and your expectation isn’t met. It can be very disappointing, in fact. But, everyone experiences disappointment from time to time. It’s just a part of normal life. But, how you handle disappointment is important! It never helps you, or anyone else around you, to have an emotional meltdown. When a disappointment happens, It’s best to just stop, take a deep breath, relax, and then get God involved in the situation by turning to Him and asking for help. This is exactly what Susan and I had to do yesterday when a disappointment came our way. The day had started out normally. We were packed and ready to go for a few days journey in our motor home. Our plans were set and included attending a funeral for a relative in Oregon and then meeting up with our daughter and her family to enjoy RV’ing along the beautiful Oregon coast. About two hours into the trip, however, it felt like we were having a blowout in a rear tire. When we pulled over, we could see smoke coming from the tire area, but there was no flat. Something else was very wrong! We called our roadside service and they determined the repair couldn’t be done alongside the road and that we needed to be towed back to a repair facility in our home town. Our wonderful planned trip was now ended. And yes, we were disappointed, of course, but Susan and I did not have a single anxious moment about our situation. That’s because we sincerely believe, “our disappointments are often God’s appointments.” In other words, we knew that God has the ability to sustain and bless us no matter what comes our way. We considered this to be a revised adventure that we hadn’t planned on. In fact, we got to ride in the cab with the tow truck driver for the journey back home and we found him to be very receptive to hearing the gospel. The unplanned time with him was what we followers of Christ often refer to as “having a devine encounter!” This was something we hadn’t planned on but was obviously a God inspired moment. If this ”disappointment” hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t have had this wonderful opportunity to share Christ with the driver who wanted to hear about Jesus.” What a wonderful joy it is to see how God can use these situations for His purpose!

Here’s what to do when something disappointing happens

• Give your worries and cares to God

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Pet. 5:6-8)

• Wait for God to renew your strength

“But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” (Isa. 40:31)

• Expect God to sustain you

“Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees.” (Psalm 119:116)

• Wait patiently for Him to act

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.”

• Give Him praise no matter what happens!

“I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of his glories and grace. I will boast of all his kindness to me. Let all who are discouraged take heart. Let us praise the Lord together and exalt his name. For I cried to him and he answered me! He freed me from all my fears. Others too were radiant at what he did for them. Theirs was no downcast look of rejection! This poor man cried to the Lord—and the Lord heard him and saved him out of his troubles. For the Angel of the Lord guards and rescues all who reverence him.” (Psalms 34:1-7)