Dealing with disappointment
March 20, 2010 by Beth Jones · Leave a Comment
Yesterday it was like spring here in Missouri. The sun was out, the robins, cardinals, and black birds were in our back yard looking for worms, and it was warm (for our state). This morning as I was curled up drowsily in bed, Ray came into the room to announce (loudly and not very happily), “It SNOWED last night!”
It hasn’t stopped all day long. We have several feet outside now. Ray has been at work on a 24 hour shift today, and has been working wrecks all day long (he’s a critical care paramedic).
Sometimes we have expectations out of life, people, or situations, and when things don’t happen quite the way we’d hoped it would turn out, we are disappointed. Like Ray being so disappointed about the snow this morning (a MILD word, he really dislikes snow!). Or maybe it was not getting that A on your college test or project like my sister Maria experienced this week (she’s been making straight A’s for three semesters…an admirable feat since she also works full time and is the single mom of 3 kids!). For you the disappointment(s) might be:
- a marriage relationship that isn’t what you’d dreamed of
- your book sales aren’t doing well
- one of your kids is sick again or has gone wild
- you are having trouble losing weight this year, while everyone else is shedding the pounds fast, effortlessly
- you aren’t paying off debts as fast as you’d like, even WITH Dave Ramsey’s ideas
- it might have even been something hurtful that someone you love said to you, which crushed your spirit
- sometimes it seems like people who live very wicked lives are being really blessed, while you – who strives to honor God with your life – struggle so much
- you didn’t get the job you interviewed for a couple of weeks ago, when you thought you had it
- you have a bad hair day every day!
Whatever the disappointment is, we can always go to God with that let-down. God loves us and cares about every detail of our lives. He is a good Father and wants to bless our lives with His goodness. He encourages us in Psalm 145:14-19:
The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His ways. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him.”
We can look expectantly to God. He will never disappoint us. God is very near to us. He sees our disappointments in life. He wants to satisfy the deepest longings of our souls, and heal our disappointments. He can even bring beautiful things out of them, using them for His glory.
Just come to Him. Give them to Him, whatever they are. Write them out and pray about them. Let Him heal the pain and take care of it today… He will give you the desires of your heart, in ways you can’t even begin to imagine!
PS: The snow WILL melt, Ray….eventually. 
How To Get Wisdom
March 2, 2010 by Beth Jones · 2 Comments
Join my friend Susan Evans today in her guest blog here as she shares more on the topic of prayer. In this article, I just love how Susan shares about God telling her to simply bond with her child. Susan has a website Hands-On Learning that is full of creative ideas for teaching your children at home using a unit study approach and including Charlotte Mason’s excellent, hands-on methods. Check out Susan’s site at www.SusanEvans.org.
How to Get Wisdom
by Susan Evans
Prayer is so powerful. It connects you to God and gives you a channel through which to receive perfect wisdom. God knows everything. When I ask God for wisdom, I’m surprised.
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5 ESV)
Everyone knows that Scripture contains wisdom, so by knowing the Word of God and growing in holiness, we will gradually acquire more wisdom. But how do you get specific wisdom for day to day decisions?
One day I was having trouble with one of my sons taking forever on his math. I went to my room and got on my knees and asked God what to do to get my son to do his math more quickly. I was quiet. I opened my heart to God.
The answer was this: Spend time bonding with him.
What on earth does that have to do with math? It doesn’t even make sense. But I went ahead and did it.
We were lying down chatting about life together. I felt like I hadn’t connected to him in a long time, and I hadn’t even noticed. I was glad for the conversation.
The next morning he finished his math quicker than he ever had before. And he continued being diligent for weeks. Go figure. Ask God for wisdom, and it works. My son must have needed time to talk and be understood, so that he wouldn’t feel disconnected or lonely.
Another time, one of my children was whining and complaining first thing in the morning. Instead of getting mad, I went to God to ask for wisdom. I was quiet. I opened my heart.
The answer was this: Put him to bed.
That didn’t make sense because our family wasn’t doing very much at that time. We had no outside activities, and the kids hadn’t gone to bed late. But I went ahead and obeyed. I put my child to bed. Ten minutes later I went to check on him, and he was snoring. Only God knew that he was tired.
Many times I have asked God for wisdom when I am counseling someone, and God has miraculously given me the right words when I need them. Pat answers don’t help people. Fresh insight from God does.
Isn’t this fun? God knows everything, and His Spirit is in us. We have access to wisdom at any time. God promises that if we ask for wisdom, He will give it to us. God is not a liar. So just be quiet and wait for the answer, because it will come.
