Dealing with Disappointment Part 2 of 3

Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The second trial came last week. We discovered that the box of Christmas gifts we sent to family in NC did not arrive in tact. In fact 2/3 of the gifts were missing. This was a huge disappointment and we were both really upset. I cried. I don't know for certain what happened, but just the fact that they are gone really stinks. 

It was hard to swallow and I certainly shot off an email to the post office customer service as fast as I could. Then when my anger subsided and I took in the situation a sadness settled over me. What now? And this is what we came up with....we praise God. We are still blessed. We have wonderful families who wouldn't care even if we couldn't replace the gifts. We have our health and shelter and clothes. We are never hungry. We have so much, so much, so much. Things can be replaced. It's a set back, but not the end of the world, not even close. It's not God's fault. He allowed it, sure. Why? I don't know. But he also allowed us to eat dinner last night and the night before. He allowed me to crawl into my wonderfully warm bed while some barely have a mat to call their own. Why? I don't know. I don't have all the answers but I know three truths that have come to mind as I have been fighting these disappointing times. I will share one today and two tomorrow.

The first thing I thought of when I was upset and wanting to blame God was the passage in John 6:66-68. When Jesus teaches some difficult passages and many disciples turn away. He turns to the 12 disciples and asks them, "Do you want to go away as well?" And I felt like God was asking me, "Do you want to turn your back on me?" And like Peter my response was the same, "Lord, to whom shall I go? You have the words of eternal life." I may not understand God's ways, in fact it's pretty certain that none of us truly do most times, but I believe He is who He says He is. And He is good and He is love and He has truly never let me down. I have nothing else to cling to besides Jesus. So no matter what happens in life, no matter how many disappointments or how great the sorrow my response will always be, "Lord, to who else would I go?" 

Come back tomorrow for the final post to hear what else God has been teaching me through these situations.