Tag: disappointment

Flip It!

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Those who trust in and wait on him will not be put to shame. Psalm 22:5

What crushing disappointment has sent you into despair?

Or maybe it’s just a simple one, causing you to question your entire life?

Or maybe the direction you thought God wanted for you is a clear NO?

Ok, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic. Let’s take it down a notch.

When you are faced with a NO from God, what is your reaction?

Despair? Anxiety? Begging for Him to open the right doors when He’s clearly shut one?

Questioning yourself, your actions, and God’s actions as well?

Scheming how to change the situation so it will fit into God’s plan for your life?

We all do it, right?

But when disappointment stares us in the face, what if we flipped it over?

What if we flipped disappointment over, revealing God’s hope and peace?

As someone who trusts God for your every breath, you want to remain within God’s plan for you, yes?

You want to remain obedient to what God has for you.

And your NO from God is just that. An answer from God.

Your NO is God keeping you right where He wants you.

Underneath His protection, grace, and plans for the amazing future He has for you.

As you patiently seek God, waiting for His YES, smile.

Smile at your disappointment, because God has even better plans for you.

Yes, you might be disappointed for the moment, but you can smile, knowing God is looking out for you.

He’s planning something even better.

The wait will be totally worth it.

Photos by Jonathan Marchal, Wes Hicks, Christopher Machicoane-Hurtaud, & Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Stealing Your Joy

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Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4

Why is it that blessings are often overshadowed by disappointment?

You can look at a field full of flowers but instead feel sour thinking of what didn’t transpire.

Of who disappointed you.

Why do we react like that?

Why does our flesh tend to focus on the bad while in the midst of the good?

It can even be rightly justified disappointment. Like the real deal.

I can give you an example.

Recently celebrated my birthday. It was a big one.

Some of the kids celebrated, some did not.

My husband celebrated me.

My mother and in-laws celebrated me.

My friends and even my school children celebrated me, belting out an impromptu happy birthday song first thing when they arrived at school.

So why did my focus choose the disappointments?

I really don’t know. But I do know this. No more.

Let’s concentrate on those who love us.

Let’s focus on the blessings we enjoy instead of the disappointments we mourn.

We cannot change others, so let’s not let the limitations of others steal your joy.

As my grandmother used to say, from the balcony of heaven, will it matter?

I choose to rejoice in the Lord, always. Even if.

Join me?

Photos by Adi Goldstein, Deva Williamson, Jess Bailey, & Lan Gao on Unsplash

Mommy-hood

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Moms are the most underpaid, under acknowledged, under revered bunch.

Not only do we grow humans from within our bodies, we grow them in our hearts.

Children, whether natural or adopted, are extensions of ourselves.

We ache when they cry. We rejoice when they laugh. We cry when they fail.

I can remember my eldest. I had pre-eclampsia, so my feet were puff balls.

Literally swollen and blue if I stood too long, which means like a few seconds.

He was 2 weeks late and I labored all day and night for him.

Having no drugs, I can remember referencing Eve’s sin while in the throes of labor pains.

But when he was born, it was literally all worth it. The pain evaporated.

Motherhood is like that. Sacrifice. Emptying of ourselves for another.

There is no relationship like it.

When these humans become adults, we let them go. Off into the world, exploring for themselves under the protection of their childhood.

It’s no easier, folks. My eldest recently married the love of his life. Wasn’t there as they privately wed before a judge.

I love them so much, but it hurt not attending their wedding.

But it’s their choice. Sigh.

As mothers, we must do our very best. We continually sacrifice for them, whether it’s when they are small or grown.

Mothers are always there for their children. Not letting attitudes pass, but we are their constant.

Yes, we face multiple disappointments. But we are still there. A constant in their life like God is for us.

What an honor. Thank you God, for allowing us to be your hands and feet to others.

Help us to navigate the waters of motherhood as you would want us to act.

Fill in our cuts and bruises, which seem to reopen with a child’s actions.

Only with Your constant presence may we even begin to excel at this, the toughest job in the world.

For Mother’s Day, we mothers choose to honor God, our loving, constant help.

God, who gives us His strength, when ours is never enough.

God, who gives us His love, when ours is all used up.

God, who gives us His peace, when ours last nerve has been clearly trampled.

God, who hears our every complaint and joy, yet never chooses to leave our side.

God is our constant. Our everything. He will always be your faithful companion as you navigate the calm or troubled waters of motherhood. Give Him your family again today. He will make you a happier mother today.

Photos by Guillaume de Germain, Alexandra Fuller,  Ben White, & Anthony Tran on Unsplash

Trust No Matter What

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He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. Psalm 40:2

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Is it hard to trust God when things look dark?

When life seems to be hanging by a thread, and you cannot do a darn thing about it, is it harder to trust Him?

Although you could argue, what else is there at that point?

When life is bleak, what else is there to do, but to trust God, who knows all things?

On the other hand, trusting God is super easy when life is a bowl of cherries.

I don’t even like cherries, but I’d take that over stress any day.

I like boring.

A boring life seems divine at the moment.

Predictable.

But, alas, that has not been my road.

My road has been filled to overflowing with drama.

Yes, I love drama, but not swirling around me.

I love acting and can challenge anyone to the lead of a play any day.

But in real life, I take sanity.

Pure sanity.

And predictability.

Routine.

I love routine.

Trust.

Does trusting in God mean more when life’s difficult?

Maybe.

I can tell you this: it’s in the stress of life that we grow.

We grow up when life is hard.

When God allows drama to fill our lives, it’s the perfect opportunity to grow.

To see how God will solve things.

Trust.

Can you complain along the way?

Probably, but make sure you pass the test.

Find a buddy and complain.

But make sure that buddy points you back to God.

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Photos by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Disappointing People

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Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. Galatians 1:10

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Ready for a bombshell?

Mind blowing reality check?

People are not perfect.

Shocker?

People will fail you.

Regularly.

No, really?

We often become disappointed in people.

Could even say all the time.

It’s almost like we expect them to be perfect, especially in their actions towards us.

We expect people to act entirely better then ourselves.

It’s almost like we allow ourselves to behave however we please, expecting others to never falter. Ever

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Whose standard are you holding yourself to?

I’m not asking for perfection from you.

You can’t be perfect either.

Just don’t expect perfection from others.

You do, and you’ll continually be disappointed.

Continually.

Spread the grace of God you’ve been given to others.

Love them even when they fail you.

Even when they disappoint.

Newsflash.

I can guarantee that you, in turn, also regularly disappoint them.

You’ll want the same grace extended from them to you, regularly, won’t you?

Give grace.

Walk in forgiveness.

And smile with absolute gratefulness at the blessings of those surrounding you.

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Photos by Nicole Honeywill , Pascal Lottenbach , & Ivana Djudic on Unsplash

Toxic poison

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Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. Proverbs 18:21

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Are you affected by poison?

I know we never knowingly ingest the stuff.

I’m talking about subtle poison.

Toxic people.

Toxic situations.

Lies from the pit.

Poison like that is all around us.

It infects us frankly easier than literally ingesting liquid.

So what should you do when you find yourself without warning in the midst of poison?

Suddenly surrounded by the bad stuff?

Refuse to participate.

Isn’t that what they teach kids about drugs?

You bet.

It’s good advice.

Refuse.

Don’t let your heart become drawn.

Set your mind against participation with fear or disappointment.

Keep your head and rise above it, staying in peace.

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Poison is meant to infect.

It’s goal is to inflict pain, cutting you to the core.

So don’t let it.

Sounds simple, but in reality, it’s pretty hard.

Our nature tends to succumb to temptation.

In this case, succumbing to the temptation of pain.

Pain is familiar.

Anger is familiar.

Disappointment is familiar.

These toxic reactions are poison.

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I have an example.

Recently, someone produced gifts for everyone except for me.

It was a pointed attack, meant for harm.

If I had let the toxic poison sink deep, anger and depression would have clung to my soul.

Instead, I refused to participate, letting the disappointment fall to the ground.

I did not let the toxic power take hold.

If I had, the poison would have won.

Just what the person wanted.

Battling toxic people or situations can only be done with God.

God is on your side.

He is present and fights for you.

He wants every good thing for you.

He is on your side.

Don’t you want to be on His?

You can be when you resist toxic people and situations.

Try it.

I have complete confidence in you.

With God.

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Photos by Lisa, Zachary, Bryan, & Seb on Unsplash

Horribly Disappointed

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Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. Zechariah 9:12

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When you are horribly disappointed at something in life…

When there is not a thing you can do about it…

What then?

What is your response?

Wallow in self pity, relishing the mood of despair hanging over your head?

While that might be fun for a moment, it will send your mood straight into the toilet.

There is a better way.

I like to make a list.

A list of my blessings.

I try to keep it updated, but I admit, I do a horrid job at best.

Alternatively, you can also compare your bleak disappointment to something even worse.

That definitely puts things into perspective.

 The point is this: switch your focus to the precious things God has given you.

Like that list of blessings we all should have somewhere.

Or encouragement whispered to you from your dear friend or spouse.

Because, when you focus on the blessings instead of the disappointment, you will pass God’s test with flying colors.

And your mood will stay out of the toilet.

In fact, you’ll be quite pleasant.

Respond to life with grace.

Your example will be a stepping stone to God Himself.

A stepping stone to God instead of a stumbling block to Satan.

So, what will your next disappointment turn into…?

Life, or death?

Photos by Casey Fyfe & Matthew Smith on Unsplash

It’s OK to be Sad

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And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 7:13

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Really?

Yep, it’s ok.

Sadness is an emotion.

Just like happiness or anger or irritation.

Jesus was sad.

He was grieved for his people.

Do you think He was filled with joy in the Garden of Gethsemane before He was betrayed?

Not at all.

His spirit was greatly troubled (Matthew 26:37).

Sadness, deep sorrow is a real emotion.

God made us and created all of our emotions.

They are for a purpose.

A reason.

When your life crumbles, you need to grieve.

Your heart needs to heal, and that takes time.

How much time depends upon you and your needs.

Major life upheavals require a season of grief.

A winter of sorts where you rest.

If you choose to rest in the arms of Jesus, your recovery may be shorter.

A person can also become a bit sad for little reasons.

You might have an expected bill.

Your child doesn’t give you a hug before bed.

Gasp, your children ate the last of your favorite ice cream.

These are moments.

They pass almost as quickly as they come.

Dwelling on these little moments of sadness never really enters your mind.

The bigger moments, however, dig into your core and sadness can easily overtake you.

It can become your focus when a loved one dies, during a divorce, a job that evaporates, or an intense godly desire that never seems to materialize.

It’s in those moments that you have a choice to make…

Dwell on sorrow or experience the real emotion for a time, and purpose to move on.

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You must grieve.

It’s an honest emotion.

It’s healthy.

But only for a season.

Don’t allow your mind to become stuck.

Resist the temptation to keep hitting the replay button for months and years.

You will take away years and the grief will become an idol.

Your identity will be wrapped up in grief.

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Allow yourself a season of rest.

Of sadness.

Grieve.

Please.

But during that time, place your burdens and sorrow into the arms of Jesus.

He will fill your void, dry your tears, and give you little bursts of hope.

And when your season is over, a new day will dawn and your joy will return.

Just ask Him to help.

And I promise He will.

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Photo by Noah Silliman on Unsplash

His Perfect Ways

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Lord, You are my God; I will exhale You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1

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God is a good, good Father.

Love that song.

Except something in the song has always bothered me.

Is He really perfect in all of His ways?

Because when life goes down the toilet, it doesn’t seem so.

I become confused about His perfect ways when I think about what all me and my dear husband have gone through.

How is His way perfect when it involves your spouse leaving after 20 years, because someone must be their true self?

How is His way perfect when your spouse dies?

How is His way perfect when you miscarry?

Like I said, it’s bothered me every time I’ve sang this wonderful song.

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But then it came to me.

God is perfect.

His ways are perfect.

When sin entered the world, death followed.

We daily choose between life and death.

Why does He allow brokenness?

Or suffering?

Not for me to say.

It’s on my list when I get to heaven.

But when we trust Him to get us through our broken times, His way is perfect.

He is perfectly able and willing to carry us every day through every little thing.

If we’ll let Him.

His answer of peace amidst the storm is perfect.

And His ever present help in trouble.

Call to Me and I will answer.

So yes, His ways are perfect.

And we are thankful.

Photos by Yoonbae Cho & Judith Prins on Unsplash

Stuck at the Cross

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(This guest post is my sweet daughter Linnea’s senior legacy paper)

When thinking about how to sum up what I’ve learned in high school, I struggle to find the words.  There’s so much I’ve learned.  Really, there are like ten different things I could talk about. But when thinking about what to say, it kind of hit me. My experiences – everything I’ve gone through in high school – it doesn’t really matter.  It’s not the point.

Everyone has their stories.  I have mine. I could go on and on about how my depression, self-harm, and parent’s divorce affected me and what God has taught me through all of it; but honestly – that’s not the point. God has brought me through so much.  He’s slowly shaping me to be the person He created me to be.  He’s preparing me for the next life.  In the end, everything that we’ve done on earth isn’t going to matter.  There will be a day where the only thing that matters is whether or not you know and accept Jesus Christ.  High school drama will be completely forgotten.

High school is a very instrumental time in a person’s life because it is then people start discovering themselves.  It’s the perfect opportunity for God to wreck your life for Him – and that’s what He did to me.  I went from being terrified of anything remotely spiritual, to constantly having my heart broken for those who don’t know Christ.  God put this burning desire in my heart to know Him more and share His love with others.  It was almost as if I had been blind and now I could see.

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But it’s not always that easy. Truly trying to follow God is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.  But it’s so worth it.  Satan will do everything he can to distract you.  He’ll try to re-open wounds and taunt you with temptations.  But don’t be discouraged!  John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” 

One thing I’ve learned is that so many people get stuck at the cross. I know that sounds funny, but let me explain. God wants us to lay ourselves and our burdens down at the cross and receive His grace.  But we aren’t supposed to stay there.  We are supposed to go forth and spread His news once we’ve been forgiven.  Sometimes you’ll have to go back to the cross and lay more burdens down, but you aren’t supposed to live there. Sadly, it seems as if that’s where most Christians are today.  They are all about giving their problems to God and being forgiven, but they don’t actually do anything with it.

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I believe God has so much more in store for us than just wiping away our sin. He wants us to experience the fullness of His love and be rooted richly in His spiritual blessings. He wants us to go out and share His love with urgency. Going into high school, I had the Great Commission on my mind because I had just gone through confirmation and that’s what I had picked for my verse. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  I wasn’t really sure why I picked that verse, but I knew it felt right.  Now I can see that God has been changing my heart and how it is a perfect verse for my life – because it describes the desire He has put inside my being.

If I had to leave one piece of advice, I’d say that no matter what, trust in God with all of your heart.  He created you and knows you better than you know yourself.  Life is full of unexpected things and you will never be able to go through it all and come out stronger without leaning on God.  There’s no time to put God on hold.  If you were to die tomorrow, would you be ready?

Anger? You betcha!

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Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. Psalm 37:8

Is it OK to be angry?

Yes.

Is it OK to be upset?

Yep.

Is it OK to be full of anger?

No.

Is it OK for anger to dictate my emotions?

Heck no.

Is it OK to dwell in anger?

Absolutely not.

There is a difference between allowing yourself to be angry and dwelling in anger.

When something terrible happens, it’s OK to become angry.

It’s an emotion. Perfectly natural.

Jesus became angry.

God has been angry.

It’s OK.

BUT when anger moves from simply a reaction to an emotion that dictates my actions and moods, it’s not OK.

You cannot allow anger to rule in your heart.

If anger dictates your actions, you are a nasty person.

Not someone anyone cares to be around.

If anger rules in your heart, you are bitter and full of rage.

Angry people spread their poison to anyone within earshot.

They believe life is terrible and all hope is lost.

They want revenge and will do or say whatever they feel in the moment.

Angry people don’t care if or when they hurt other people’s feelings -because they themselves are hurt.

Wounded people can become angry if they allow anger to dictate their emotions.

Wouldn’t it be almost comforting to be angry?

Is it justified?  Yes, sometimes, it is.

But we can choose life or we can choose death.

We can choose to be victims or we can choose to overcome.

We can choose to let anger rule our emotions or we can become an example of humility.

What did Jesus choose to do when He was faced with the injustice of the cross and stood before His accusers?

Jesus would have most certainly been justified to feel anger.

He would have been justified to become sarcastic and tell those false accusers a thing or two.

Instead, He chose to be silent and choose life.

If Jesus would have succumbed to anger, He would have changed history.

When we are in the midst of injustice, we can choose anger or we can choose to be like Jesus.

We can choose life.

Let’s be honest.

It’s fun to be angry.

It’s WAY more pleasant to plan revenge then wait and pray about our response.

Keep quiet? Are you kidding?

An eye for an eye, right?

 When we are slow to respond in a bad situation, we allow God to work through the details.

He might have us react in an entirely different way than we planned.

He might have us use strong words.

He might have us quietly observe.

He might use us as bold expressions of His love.

But we will never know how He wants us to respond if we continually respond in the flesh only as we want.

Photos by Japheth Mast, Jason Rosewell, Caleb Woods, & Leo Rivas on Unsplash

Thankfulness

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I will give thanks to you, O Lord, my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. Psalm 86:12

It’s easy to thank God when times are good.

When life is smooth, it’s easy to raise our hands to heaven, thanking the One who created all things.

How ’bout when life turns ugly?

When your life hits a speed bump and you are thrown to the ground, what then?

Are we still required to give thanks during those winter months?

Yep.

Seriously?

Uh-huh.

When God places a boulder in your path, thank Him for giving you directions around it.

When God moves you firmly out of one job into another, thank Him for rescuing you.

When God lifts you up and places you down in an entirely different life, thank Him for His protection.

You have no idea what God is protecting you from when He changes your course….your direction.

Thank Him.

He knows all things and is more aware than you realize.

Change your perspective. Begin thanking Him for the storms in your life.

Storms are when God shows up in powerful ways.

Sure, He’s there in times of sunshine as well, it’s just harder to see Him work.

When life is smooth sailing, you don’t need God as much.

When life is hunky dory, dependence on yourself increases.  You become less thankful of the good things, because they surround you.

During storms, little pops of glory are obvious, filling our thankful hearts with hope.

Cultivate a heart of thankfulness.  Regularly communicate your gratitude during your constant conversation with the One who created all things.  The One who orchestrates the music of the universe.

I guarantee your attitude will shift and peace will return to your soul.

God has a plan.  And He will reveal it to you in due time.

In the meantime, thank Him.  Because we owe Him everything.

Everything.

Photos by Ben White, Vladimir Fedotov, & Zwaddi on Unsplash

Grace

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:2

By definition, it’s unearned.

Undeserved.

But it’s what we all need.

Desperately.

It’s a blanket of peace that touches our soul.

Where would we be without it?  We’d be shells of bitterness.

Worthless, if you want to know what I really think.

But if you expect grace for yourself – if you crave it because you constantly fall down – you must extend grace personally to others.

Not just once.

But all the time.

Constantly.

Because it’s not about you.

It’s not about what you do and don’t deserve.

People will fail you.

Guaranteed.

And don’t forget yourself.

You need to extend grace to yourself as well.

Here’s a news flash.  Are you ready?

No one is perfect.

Not one.

Jesus was the only perfect man and He’s in heaven.

You aren’t perfect, your spouse isn’t perfect, and the lady at the grocery store isn’t either.

Expect disappointment.

Expect people to fail you.

Assuming we aren’t referring to abuse (which in that case is another matter entirely), grace must be given regularly to others.

Liberally.

How much grace does God give you?

As much as you need.

So how many times should you give grace to others and yourself?

As much as necessary.

That means a lot.

Probably more than you are dishing out now.

Gulp.

But I don’t want to.

It’s more fun to hold grudges and make people pay for hurting me.

Yes I know.

I’ve been to that party.

Ever look around when you’re there?

Look at their faces.

Anger.  Brokenness.  Sadness. Void of emotion. Revenge.

Not the party which I want to stay.

Here’s a thought.

Next time you’re invited to hold a grudge or react in anger, try grace.

Stop your brain dead in it’s tracks and invite Jesus to take control of your thoughts, your reactions.

Grace.

Just speak the word and your brain will begin focusing on it.

Change the thought, extend grace, and you’ll be simply amazed at your peaceful heart.

Let’s stop living in Grudgeville and Poor Me Place.

Move to Graceville.

There’s plenty of room to move right in.

And I hear the weather is simply lovely today.

 Photos by niko photos, Silvestri Matteo, Aaron Burden, Harshil Gudka, Flash Dantz, & sutirta budiman on Unsplash

Choose to Move On

Published on by amylinnea7 Comments

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:8

Disappointment is real, isn’t it?

Life isn’t always a bed of roses.

Heck, roses have thorns, but they sure smell wonderful, so it is a mixed bag at best.

Life, that is.

Here’s the bottom line:  since we are guaranteed to be faced with multiple disappointments on a daily basis, how should we react?

Have a plan.  They are going to happen.

Often.

Regularly.

So – have a plan.  That’s half the battle.

Is it ok to be disappointed?

Sure. Absolutely.

It’s a real emotion. But don’t dwell on it.

What?

But that’s fun. It’s fun to feel sorry for myself.

I hear you, but don’t do it.

Feel disappointment, but then let it go.

Give it to God. Talk to Him.

Return to that daily constant conversation and tell Him your trouble.

Ask Him to take it and purpose your thoughts to return to the next task at hand.

When the disappointment sneaks back into your brain, throw it out and think about something great.

Go back to that list of details/blessings you created.

Remind yourself of how great your life really is.

The danger with disappointment is dwelling on it.

When your mind is consumed with it, your emotions fall to the pit and you become a mess.

Everything else in life is suddenly colored in a negative light.

Your entire life is now in the toilet.

Once you fall into the pit of despair, it’s hard to climb out.

It’s the difference of hours vs. moments.

Hours of crying and feeling awful vs. a mere moment of disappointment and moving on.

It’s ok to be disappointed.

It will happen.  So, have a plan.

Purpose to change your thoughts to God.

Talk to Him about it and ask Him to help you.

Move on.

He has your back, so take your peace.

Whether it’s a broken dish, a child’s bad attitude, or a failed marriage, God has it covered.

He holds your future, so live in peace.

The price of despair isn’t worth the moments of self pity.

Trust me.  I know.

Photos by Masako Ishida maco-nonch★R, Stephanie Mulrooney, & Anastasia Zhenina on Unsplash

Disappointment

Published on by amylinnea2 Comments

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. Psalm 62:5

Why is it that little things can send us crashing to the floor in utter despair?

If we are so dependent on God, little issues shouldn’t even phase us.

Frankly, we shouldn’t notice them.

But we do.

Life is absolutely full of disappointments and we must take each one with a grain of salt.

 Expectations are a double edged sword.

On the one hand, we are full of happy anticipation.  Yet at the same time, we can crumble in an absolute instant when what we thought would happen never even materializes.

How can we be happy one minute and sad the next?

How is it that our emotions are that ridiculously unstable?

Relying on human strength.  Forgetting that God is in control and the author of all things.

How can we possibly forget that?

It’s unfortunately too easy.

Following Jesus, surrendering to His perfect will is a constant process.

Dying to ourselves is constant.  Never ending.

Here’s the good news: if we remember God is in control and He has our back, then we can take disappointments in stride.

What does it matter if things don’t go our way?

What is our way? Is it God’s way?

God is not at all surprised by life. He’s seen it all and knows the beginning from the end.

Relax and take each disappointment in stride.  Recognize life will be full of times that don’t go our way.

Pray about your day before your feet hit the floor.

Remember how much God loves you and wants to help your every move.

Next time you begin to swallow disappointment….the next time your eyes are tempted to well up with tears, beg God to intervene and replace your fear with hope.

That’s what disappointment really is at the core – fear.  We fear (fill in the blank) will never improve or will always rear it’s ugly head.

Notice the words never and always.  Kinda inflammatory, isn’t it?

But that’s how we think.

Look at things from the prism of everlasting life.

From the balcony of heaven, will it matter?

No, it won’t.

All disappointment is significant to us.

But truly, in the grander scheme of life, does it matter?

The next time you are faced with a moment of disappointment, turn it into a smile of expectation.

God is saying no to something so He can say yes later.

And if He has our back, if He wants the very best for us, and if He has a plan, then why not dare to smile.

Later is ok.  Later is best.

According to God, it is.

Photos by Trym Nilsen, Kelly-Ann Tan, Anastasiya Romanova, & Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash