Yesterday morning I watched a university basketball game on tv. It was live in the US and I am living in Australia, so the timing is always different than back there. I did not have cake as pictured, but my thinking was triggered by this photo from last week's Super Bowl in the US also.
The basketball game featured the US #5 team, the Kansas Jayhawks playing in Norman Oklahoma against the Oklahoma Sooners. At times it was a close contest, but the Jayhawks were never really interested in winning and went down to their third defeat in a row. Ouch. I was wearing a KU t-shirt. Three other KU fans were in the living room of my home with me at the time. Two current students and my wife. Disappointment was the mood of the morning, no matter how close the boys on the court appeared to get. Failure. Sadness.
I watched last weekend in San Francisco when I was at my friend Susan's home. She is a keen 49er fan, and fully expected her side to get through and win the football game in New Orleans. She had invited many others to share in the game experience and to celebrate with her when the game was over. But no one celebrated with her, because the Baltimore Ravens beat her beloved team by 3 points. Her victory party was spoiled.
The cake was left uneaten. I however, did have a piece, as is evident here, and tried to expand the word "Go 49ers" to read "Gone 49ers" but it didn't work out.
What do you do with disappointment? What will you do with the next thing you want to happen, and it doesn't happen? The career move uninvited, the pay rise that doesn't come, the girl who says 'no' to your demonstration of interest... what will you do?
When things don't work out the way you want, may I recommend a conversation with the God of heaven and earth? Honestly, talk with the One who well knows about human enterprise and human failures. He understands our weaknesses and wants us to learn from our wishes dashed.
Phil Keaggy was not a great poet, but he is a great musician. I found his words of the song "Disappointment" back in the late 70s to be a real comfort. Maybe this will help you also. I will also include the YouTube of the song at the end.
Disappointment - His appointment,
Change one letter, then I see
That the thwarting of my purpose
Is God's better choice for me.
His appointment must be blessing
Though it may come in disguise
For the end from the beginning,
Open to His wisdom lies.
Disappointment - His appointment
Whose? The Lord's who loves best.
Understands and knows me fully,
Who my faith and love would test.
For like loving, earthly parent
He rejoices when He knows
That His child accepts unquestioned
All that from His wisdom flows.
Disappointment - His appointment
No good thing will he withhold
From denials oft we gather
Treasures of His love untold.
Well, He knows each broken purpose
Leads to fuller deeper trust
And the end of all His dealings
Proves our God is wise and just.
Disappointment - His appointment
Lord I take it then as such,
Like the clay in hands of potter
Yielding wholly to Thy touch.
All my life's plan is Thy molding.
Not one single choice be mine.
Let me answer unrepining,
Father not my will but Thine.
Sing along here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wNMh2PnvJw
Via Flickr:
Handling disappointment is never easy, but is made much easier when we ponder how God uses the wishes dashed to grow us into better people.
The basketball game featured the US #5 team, the Kansas Jayhawks playing in Norman Oklahoma against the Oklahoma Sooners. At times it was a close contest, but the Jayhawks were never really interested in winning and went down to their third defeat in a row. Ouch. I was wearing a KU t-shirt. Three other KU fans were in the living room of my home with me at the time. Two current students and my wife. Disappointment was the mood of the morning, no matter how close the boys on the court appeared to get. Failure. Sadness.
I watched last weekend in San Francisco when I was at my friend Susan's home. She is a keen 49er fan, and fully expected her side to get through and win the football game in New Orleans. She had invited many others to share in the game experience and to celebrate with her when the game was over. But no one celebrated with her, because the Baltimore Ravens beat her beloved team by 3 points. Her victory party was spoiled.
The cake was left uneaten. I however, did have a piece, as is evident here, and tried to expand the word "Go 49ers" to read "Gone 49ers" but it didn't work out.
What do you do with disappointment? What will you do with the next thing you want to happen, and it doesn't happen? The career move uninvited, the pay rise that doesn't come, the girl who says 'no' to your demonstration of interest... what will you do?
When things don't work out the way you want, may I recommend a conversation with the God of heaven and earth? Honestly, talk with the One who well knows about human enterprise and human failures. He understands our weaknesses and wants us to learn from our wishes dashed.
Phil Keaggy was not a great poet, but he is a great musician. I found his words of the song "Disappointment" back in the late 70s to be a real comfort. Maybe this will help you also. I will also include the YouTube of the song at the end.
Disappointment - His appointment,
Change one letter, then I see
That the thwarting of my purpose
Is God's better choice for me.
His appointment must be blessing
Though it may come in disguise
For the end from the beginning,
Open to His wisdom lies.
Disappointment - His appointment
Whose? The Lord's who loves best.
Understands and knows me fully,
Who my faith and love would test.
For like loving, earthly parent
He rejoices when He knows
That His child accepts unquestioned
All that from His wisdom flows.
Disappointment - His appointment
No good thing will he withhold
From denials oft we gather
Treasures of His love untold.
Well, He knows each broken purpose
Leads to fuller deeper trust
And the end of all His dealings
Proves our God is wise and just.
Disappointment - His appointment
Lord I take it then as such,
Like the clay in hands of potter
Yielding wholly to Thy touch.
All my life's plan is Thy molding.
Not one single choice be mine.
Let me answer unrepining,
Father not my will but Thine.
Sing along here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wNMh2PnvJw
Via Flickr:
Handling disappointment is never easy, but is made much easier when we ponder how God uses the wishes dashed to grow us into better people.
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