Today I have a disappointment in my life and as I sit and reflect on it (lots of time to think today as I have three free periods subbing at school today) I am walking through some of the questions that I would talk about with my clients and I keep coming to end and asking myself the question... am I going to choose to let the disappointment rule my day or am I going to choose joy, self-control, patience, which will it be.
Are you dealing with a disappointment? If so, I encourage you to ask yourself a few questions:
1. Why am I disappointed? Is it because I had a plan in mind and it didn't go my way. Is it that someone made a decision that hurt me and it was beyond my control. Are you frustrated with God because he isn't giving you something you want. At the core of your disappointment can you figure out the main cause?
2. What emotions or physical responses are coming out of this disappointment? Are you angry, depressed, concerned, disconnected, sad.... For some people disappointment causes harm emotions, for others it causes withdraw and depressed feelings.
3. Have you prayed about it? I am often quick to be disappointed and frustrated but if I am honest I am not always quick to pray - I stew over things for sometimes days before I get to the place that I remember I haven't prayed about it.
4. Have you already made a choice how this event will affect you? Every moment of every day we must make choices - we choose what we will wear, whether we will eat breakfast, if so what we will have. Life is filled with choices and how we respond to disappointments is a choice. Not an easy choice but a choice none the less.
Choosing joy in the midst of frustration and disappointment can only happen when we are willing to turn it over to God. On my own I will choose frustration because of my human sinful nature... it is easier to hold a grudge than to forgive, it is easier to be angry than to be patient! But consider making a choice to do the more difficult - choosing to find joy in the midst of the disappointment. Choosing to find peace in the midst of chaos.
Today you have a choice - which will you choose! With God's Help I will choose JOY!!! Take a few minutes and listen to this song called Unspeakable Joy - hope it speaks to your heart as it has spoken to mine.
1 comment:
I too have experienced those days of disappointment. Sounds like you are choosing the right things to think about. Praying for you today friend.
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