The Disappointments of Life

I have some friends that are hurting right now, for different reasons. And they have confided in me for support and because we are friends and that's what friends do, we carry each other's burdens. True friendship is hard to find and I am so thankful to have these dear women in my life. But in "all" cases I have wanted to say the "right" thing and make it all better for them, but I really can't. I can't change reality. I can't change what has happened anymore then I can change the hurts & struggles in my own life. There was a common chord with my friends, though...disappointment and various levels of it. You trust, you get your hopes up that what you want will happen, and maybe even things are moving forward seeming like it is going to happen and then...it doesn't. How do you deal with that? How do you trust again? How do you keep yourself open to try again? There is no easy answer. Obviously my friends aren't expecting me to have the answer, but this has really got me thinking. How are we supposed to respond to the disappointments of life? In no way am I trying to diminish or trivialize the hurts that my friends or others are dealing with. I know they are painful. I've been there myself. I'm just trying to think it through here.

My Pastor preached an amazing sermon this past Sunday that focused on HEBREWS 13:1-8 and although he was focusing on the topic of money I think God's word here can apply to dealing with disappointments. Let me preface this by saying that it hurts to be disappointed. It stinks and you should allow yourself to "grieve" the loss of what you thought was going to be. But God encourages us to find contentment in what we have. God promises "'never will I leave you: never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.'" In other words, we are to trust in a providing Savior. He is faithful. Remember all of the times when He has provided for you and has been with you (SEE Luke 12:22-32). He will provide all that you need and He knows best what that is. I'm paraphrasing this from Tony's sermon: "Sometimes our fear is not that we won't eat or have a place to live, but that it won't be what we WANT to eat or it won't be where we WANT to live". It just reminds me that God has a plan and although it is important to make plans and make decisions for the future, that we need to live in the now and find satisfaction in what we have and PRAY! "You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives...You ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that' " (JAMES 4:2-3, 15). Probably easier said than done. And time does heal. When it all works out we look back and say, "why didn't I trust you, Lord?" But He wants us to trust Him when we can't see it. It's called faith for a reason. So I will continue to love and support my friends and I will try to just be a good listener & not solve their problems for them. And I will surrender them to God because He is the only one that can provide the comfort and peace they need. And I will pray for them and for me because the disappointments of life will come and only He can help me to be satisfied.

SATISFY lyrics (by Tenth Avenue North)
"Satisfy me Lord. I'm begging You, to help me see. You're all I want. You're all I need. Oh, satisfy me Lord. You're beautiful. You're more than all this world can give. You're beautiful, You're love is all I need to live."

Quotes from THE SHACK

THE SHACK
written by William P. Young
(the use of "I" and "My" in the following quotes refer to God/the holy trinity)

"Your choices are also not stronger than my purposes, and I will use every choice you make for the ultimate good and the most loving outcome." (pg 125)

"If you knew I was good and that everything...is all covered in my goodness, then while you might not always understand what I am doing, you would trust me." (pg 126)

CHPT 8 Quote, Author Unknown
"Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown."

"When I dwell in you, I do so in the present--I live in the present...I do not dwell in the future you visualize or imagine....your imagination of the future, which is almost always dictated by fear of some kind, rarely, if ever, pictures me there with you." (Emma's favorite; pg 141-142)

FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE FROM "THE SHACK" IN THE COMMENT SECTION. I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

The Pink Princess and the Modern Day Knight

So you probably didn't know that a pink princess and a modern day knight live with me. I mean it sounds like something out of a fairy tale, but it's true! I'm not sure why, but my Dad started calling my daughter "the pink princess" early on. She's now 4 and I think the title is going to stick. She loves the color pink (but so does her Mom) and she has always liked princesses (Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, etc.). In fact as I write this she is wearing her pink shirt with 3 Disney princesses on it while she plays with her Disney Princess figurines. I mean she is a pink princess all the way. She also happens to be the only granddaughter on my side of the family. The girl has some power (*smile*). She is beautiful and her giggle lights up the room. I think there is a song in her heart because she sings most of the day. Doesn't matter what she's doing, she's usually singing something. Almost equal to princesses is her love for baby dolls. It's so fun to watch her natural mothering skills at work. She likes taking care of something, even me when I'm sick or hurt. She's so helpful with a tissue or a blanket. She has a lovely heart for helping!
"Yes I am a Princess. My father is the King of Kings."

What about this modern day knight? Well, if we have a pink princess you know we also have to have a knight to protect her and that would be my 6 1/2 year old son. He is big brother and protector extraordinaire. To be clear, we're raising a modern day knight, which is also the title of a great book written by Robert Lewis (http://www.family.org/). He loves everything a boy usually loves; climbing trees, fighting against the "bad guy", getting dirty, and rough housing. But along with this tough boy side, he is incredibly sensitive and loving. He's a great kid! And he's very good with his sister (although I'm not saying they don't argue).

The key to loving, responsible, "good kids" is parenting and Adam and I take responsibility for that. You can pray for us and our kids because some days it's hard to be the parents of a pink princess and a modern day knight. But it's certainly worth the challenge.

"A righteous man who walks in his integrity --how blessed are his sons after him." (Proverbs 20:7)

Children

My children are so precious to me.

--Caleb and Ellie in 2008