While in high school, it was just Mom, Dad, and I at home. I was the youngest child and my sisters had both left the nest. Most of my best friends were a part of my youth group at church and I spent many of my weekends hanging out with them. We would go to the arcade or just hang at Genesee Valley mall checking out the gir…I mean shopping!
I got home late one Friday evening to find a note from my parents. When dad got home from work, they made a last-minute decision to take a weekend trip to norther Michigan. I had no problem being alone, I would probably spend the weekend with my friends anyway. However, I WAS MAD!! I loved going “up north” and was extremely disappointed they had gone without even inviting me.
I didn’t think about the fact that they deserved some time to themselves. I didn’t consider that had they stayed home, I would have chosen to be with my friends and not with them. All that mattered was they had disappointed me. So, I did the only mature thing I could think of, when they got home, I did not speak to them for a week.
Looking back, there are a couple of things I learned for this and other similar experiences in my life. Disappointments are unavoidable. I cannot control the actions of others. I can’t make people meet my expectations. But the more important lesson to learn is that I CAN control my response to disappointment. I can choose to allow these experiences to cause me discouragement and even anger, or I can choose to look for a way of turning disappointment into opportunity.
My example of disappointment is trivial compared to some of the circumstance’s life throws our way. Broken families, lost jobs, poor health, loss of those we love; unfortunately, life’s disappointments can pile up. Therefore, we need to have a strategy for assuring that we respond to them properly.
While on earth, Jesus was not only sinless in his lifestyle, but was obedient to every aspect of God’s will. Yet he continually faced disappointment. Although he showed nothing but love and compassion, he was met with hatred. When returning to his hometown, he was not cheered as a hero, but they tried to stone him. His disciples watched his actions and heard each word of his teaching, yet often responded with foolishness and pride. In the end, one even sold him out for a few pieces of silver. The rest simply ran away when the pressure got to much for them. One of his inner circle of friends cursed him because of the taunting of a little girl. Jesus was fully God, but he was also fully man. In his humanness, he could have looked at all those disappointments and allowed them to cause discouragement and anger. But he didn’t. Instead, he did the one thing that assured the correct reaction. Jesus sought the will of God the Father. When the pressure was at it’s greatest point and the hatred of man was about to cost him his life, Jesus prays these words in Luke 22:42, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus understood a truth he desires for us to grab on to. There is one relationship we can have that will never disappoint us. There is one person in our lives on whom we can depend without fear. When others make choices that hurt and disappoint us, there is a place we can turn. We don’t have to be angry or discouraged, we can take that disappointment to God, our Heavenly Father and ask him to allow his plan for us to give us a renewed purpose and a refreshing hope.
I REMEMBER U TELLING THAT STORY BEFORE…I BELIEVE. WAS THERE MORE TO IT? DID U TALK ABOUT IT WITH THEM LATER IN LIFE?
The situation was resolved after a week or two and apologies were offered and accepted.
PM