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."