Dissappointment

Have you ever been so excited about something, anticipated the day, waiting patiently by the mail box and then when everything comes to be, you are left sorely disappointed. Your hopes are dashed your life feels unstable and you simply cannot imagine how things could have gone more wrong. What is one to do when life disappoints you so desperately? You know there is quite a wait and quite a mess to clean up, but you simply are not sure how this is going to happen.

Some people in my life put their life on hold until the resolution can be seen. They cancel their appointments, they wait at home for the answer. They don't answer the door or the phone or return e-mails until they can make the bad stuff all go away. Some people make lists. They are systematic about everything. They make plans of action and attack the issue of disappointment like they would the attic or the garage for spring cleaning. Then some people go on a rampage of anger. They make their disappointment everyone else's fault and responsibility to clean up. They make excuses for why it happened, and how it happened and who was responsible for the happening. They ruin relationships. They destroy business plans. They needlessly fire employees or treat them with such abuse that they just quit.

Then there are the people who I love in my life. They take a step back. They look at what happened and grieve the pain that comes from the disappointment in their life. They find out what went wrong and then they try to see if there is a solution by asking people for help understanding the circumstances surrounding the loss of their hope or dream. They do not let the people who are truly responsible get out from underneath their own part in the problem, but they do not nail them to the wall either. They are generous and gracious because that is just who they are. They plan for their return from the disappointment and are hopeful for the future and the new dreams they get to dream.

I do not have many people like this in my life, but I do have a few very special ones and they know just who they are. However, I do have many of the other people in my life. I have even found myself embodying these actions when I am in the midst of great disappointment. I forget who I really am and I go to a very dark place that is hard to get out of. So, you may wonder how do you move from being an ostrich, a neurotic chihuahua or a raging.... bull to a rising phoenix? There is really only one way and that is though prayer and faith. Knowing that God will bring the right people and the right opportunity to bring resolution. So, don't give up on your dreams because you experience disappointment, bring those pains to the Father and know He will return to you an unending well of joy for your temporary valley of hurt and disappointment. Disappointment will come like a full moon, but so will the dawn of a new day.

Shannon Faulkner