Disappointment//Overcoming Emotions

Welcome back! Disappointment is something that comes around in life and even in our everyday lives. ALOT. It is something that can crush you and break you down, or it is something that we can walk away from and grow stronger from. It is how we react to disappointment that will determine our outcome.

This past week I was disappointed. I expected to get something and (SHOCKER) I did not get it. No big deal right? Just move on with life and enjoy all the other aspects of life right? Wrong.

Instead of calmly moving on from disappointment I gave into my emotions. I started crying and blaming myself. Clearly I wasn't good enough or popular enough and that was why I did not get my way. I was not good enough. Even worse I started thinking about other people and why they were the reason for this "disaster" *insert sarcasm* in my life. That is what went through my head as I tried to figure out why I did not get my way.

I think a lot of people (myself included) tend to take the hardships of life and its disappointments personally. We can easily give into our emotions and feelings and make ourselves miserable. We turn inward with our disappointment. Yes, I know that is very immature and cleary emotional thinking, but we all have our downsides people! Hopefully I am not alone on this one.

Then I started thinking about how good things were despite this minor inconvenience that took place in my life. I still could make the most of the situation. I had a choice! I did not have to let my disappointment take over and ruin what God had in store for me. The bible is FULL of stories with disappointment, sadness and unfair situations. Luckily we have a God who is not phased by any of those things. He always has a greater plan and loves to use the stories filled with disappointment to make his glory shine brighter. One that we will never fully grasp.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

I think God summed things up quite nicely for us. His thoughts and plans are far greater than we can ever comprehend. So when we face disappointment we do not need to freakout, give into our emotions and make ourselves miserable. We are not called to that life. We are set free from our emotions, our hardships, our struggles, our disappointments. The moment Jesus died on the cross for our sins we were set free from that life!

"You taught my feet to dance upon disappointment and I, I will worship"

This line is from the song Heroes by Amanda Cook (if you have not listened to this song or any of her songs you are MISSING OUT! Go check her out and get ready for some amazing and truly talented music). I love this line in the song because it reminds me that God can do anything. He can teach us to dance upon our disappointments. DANCE upon them and turn to Him in worship. That is just a mind blowing thought to me that we have the option to live a life so free like that!

So instead of letting myself be miserable, continue to blame myself and miss out on Gods plan for me I will choose to walk away from the pain of this disappointment (or dance upon the disappointment as Amanda Cook would say). I will choose to set my emotions aside and realize God can use any story for His Glory. I will choose to keep going forward hand in hand with my father and use the things and experiences in life I do get for His good, not mine. So wherever you are in life right now, take a deep breath, acknowledge your emotions but do not let them rob you of your joy and live in the freedom God gave us! Life can be fulfilling and joyful; disappointments and all.

XOXO

Maggie