Dealing with Disappointment

Theme: Dealing with Disappointment

Verse: Isaiah 43: 18-19

In 2016, baseball fans on the northside of Chicago did not have to say at the end of the season, “Wait until next year!” as the Cubs rewarded one of the most loyal fan bases with a World Series title for the first time since Teddy Roosevelt was the President. (For those that are not Presidential Historians, that would be a LONG TIME.)  

We all deal with disappointment and not just in our sports teams.  Maybe we didn’t run as fast in a race as we wanted, didn’t get the job promotion we expected, or didn’t get into our dream college (Annapolis and West Point need students, too).  The point is, disappointment is just part of the human experience.  Learning to deal with that occasional disappointment is important. Fortunately, our Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth (BIBLE) provides some help!

Our feature verse says, “Remember NOT the former things, nor the things of old. I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”  While this was in the context of encouraging the Jews to return to Jerusalem, it can provide us wisdom on how to be courageous in face of our present-day challenges.  Don’t dwell on the past (learn from it, but don’t DWELL on it), and know that God provides us hope for a new way forward. 

The next time disappointment enters your life, know that God is in all situations and will never give you more than you can endure.  Allow your disappointment to propel you to a new beginning instead of holding you back. Thomas Edison had nearly 10,000 failures before literally, the light bulb turned on!

Have a great week! 

Adapted from Walk, Run Soar by Dorina Gilmore Young