Deal with disappointment, start to look forward
“ … But the one thing I do (it is my one aspiration): forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.”
— Philippians 3:13 (AMP).
In the past, I have dealt with some major disappointments. The one thing I am learning is that in every disappointment we have to look for a new starting place so we can get our emotions going in the right direction and become reappointed with God’s plan for our lives.
That reappointment might not mean a major change, it may just mean a patient attitude or loving confrontation of the problem.
The reality of life is that we all face disappointments from time to time. People we love let us down. We lose our jobs or have to change locations and lose a home. Our health declines and fails.
When things don’t go according to the way we plan, the first thing we can feel is frustration, anger, hurt and disappointment. It’s normal to feel that way — there’s nothing wrong with it. However, we must recognize what we’re feeling and why and get a handle on it so it doesn’t get out of control and lead to a more serious problem of anger or depression.
We can overcome by praying and asking for God’s strength, direction and guidance. We stay persevering, doing what’s right while we wait for God’s answer.
We can share our feelings with others close to us and receive some support from beloved friends or family. We can pursue counseling, if necessary. We can implement any new God-given insights and ideas that come to our minds and hearts.
We make a point to forgive the reasons for the disappointments, and sometimes that’s hard.
Many times we may not have done anything to cause the reason for the disappointment. Yet, we still have to forgive so it doesn’t make us bitter.
As we grieve our loss, we need start looking forward and get a new vision for what lies ahead for our lives. We plan and search for new opportunities to fulfill the plan. We must believe in miracles, for some circumstances can only be changed by God’s miraculous hand.
As we let go of the hurt and disappointment, we can have a brighter outlook as we partner with God. Only he can take our misery and make it into something better than we could imagine.
Ÿ Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, inspirational speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at Annetteebudzban @aol.com or (847) 543-8413. Contact her to speak to your next event of any size.