UNEXPECTED DISAPPOINTMENTS

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Have you ever suffered an UNEXPECTED disappointment?

Maybe a relationship went unexpectedly sideways or something that you were counting on suddenly unraveled? The rippling impact of things like that can be crippling.

Trust me.

I am experiencing a little of that today.

On the heels of a remarkable day yesterday, a day when GOD was clearly opening doors and creating opportunities, the enemy wasn’t sleeping.  There wasn’t much time to praise GOD and celebrate the new wins before the enemy did his best to sour the day.

I am telling you he came with a CASE of lemons.

But instead of lamenting or letting that sour spoil, I leaned a little on GOD and GOOGLE and uncovered this really solid nugget regarding handling DISAPPOINTING situations, circumstances or news.

I thought I would adapt it a little for us today.

The author encouraged us that when faced with disappointment to:

·        Believe in God's plan (Our God is a miracle worker.)

·        Grieve. (Things have not gone the way you wanted. It is okay to give yourself a moment to grieve that.)

·        Then Pray. GOD KNEW this was coming, right? (Trust HIM!)

·        Now listen and wait. Why? (Big things happen when we pray! and PRAYING is as MUCH about listening as TALKING!)

·        Search for the good.  There is a likely a little SWEET in that sour.

·        Believe in yourself.

I found that helpful.

In fact, I am employing it. 

I will continue to employ it today because as I said this particular disappointment has ripples and I will be dealing with not just the ripples today but also having to lean on the LORD for ways through it for weeks to come.

And as I was reflecting on this little process I was reminded of this.

…we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose. – Romans 8:28 (TPT)

Friends when we are faced with disappointment that verse HOLDS up. 

Always HOLDS up.

Our job is to EMBRACE and grip the LORD who LOVES us with both hands and HOLD tight to HIS GOODNESS!

That is why this is one of the most helpful, comforting verses of the entire Bible, announcing God’s sovereignty in any painful situation we face.

God works. Paul’s word for this is sunergeo—the great-great-grandfather of the term synergy. Paul is saying that God can make all things sunergeo for the good. Blending faith with the failings, triumphs with the tears.

James makes the same point in James 1:2 when he says, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

So what do we do in the meantime? We trust. We trust totally, and remember God is working for the good! From Max on Life (Max Lucado) 

So, friends I know what I am going to try to do today with this particular and quite frankly rather LARGE disappointment...

Believe GOD.

Grieve but move on with prayer and optimism believing that the good for me and in me will be revealed!

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

Love you all!

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE