Disappointment occupied a lot of real estate in my story. From broken homes to broken promises, it was as if the landscape of my life was destined for devastation.

Disappointment has a funny way of influencing behavior and impacting perspective.

After experiencing unmet expectations, I realized that I no longer enjoyed the ordinary moments in relationships because I was too busy anticipating when the other shoe would drop–when things would go off the rails without warning, and my world would crumble. Again.

Because I expected disappointment, I ran every experience and relationship through this filter.  I did not feel like I could count on anyone; I did not even trust myself. There is no joy in such a perspective. Expecting disappointment prevents you from enjoying the moments unfolding in front of you, and it prevents you from growing in intimacy.

I had a choice. Leading with disappointment was completely an option {although a joyless and lonely one}, or I could entrust my broken pieces back to the Healer.

We have choices about how we invest our disappointment.

It can become a steel trap around our heart, it can make us cynical, it can isolate and prevent us from taking relational risks, OR it can become the bedrock of healing and our source of purpose.

I came from a broken home which was disappointing.

I walked through my own divorce which was disappointing AND devastating.

After too many years of holding on to the pain, I released the broken pieces to Jesus. When I did, He began a new work in my heart. I wasn’t instantly over the hurt and fear of intimacy, but He gave me renewed purpose and set my eyes higher than the pain of the past. 

If you are suffocating in a disappointing situation, my heart is with you today. Feel your way through the moment and give it time. Keep your eyes fixed higher than the pain. 

Our messes become messages of hope we get to share with the world, so let’s avoid getting stuck in disappointment and allowing the losses keep us from getting up and trying again tomorrow.

Step by step–healing will come, perspectives will shift, and hope will be restored.

Cheering you on,