Managing Disappointment

As a father, I find it difficult to see my children disappointed. But I know that there are times in which me withholding something from him, which causes disappointment, is in his best interest.

My son is going through a season right now in which he would like to play video games 24/7. When he does this for any length of time, he becomes a different person...very lethargic and not fun to be around.

I have imposed stricter limits on his video game time as well as TV time this summer. To say he is disappointed is an understatement.

Although he is not happy, I believe that he knows this is for his own good...that his dad knows what is in his best interests. He has been reading more and he has been outside a little more, which he knows is good. He also has been feeling better about himself. But, he still is not 100% happy about this.

I think the same is true of us in life. We sometimes are not happy with the hand we are dealt. We can be disappointed. Yet, when we fully realize that we have a heavenly Father who loves us deeply and wants what's best for us, this can be a very freeing place to be. When we know that God will withhold things from us for our own good or will allow us to go through certain challenges to strengthen us, we can then rejoice no matter how disappointed we are.

Max Lucado had this to say from his book Let the Journey Begin:God's Roadmap for New Beginnings:

Don't ask God to do what you want. Ask God to do what is right.

When God doesn't do what we want, it's not easy. Never has been. Never will be. But faith is the conviction that God knows more than we do about this life and he will get us through it.
Disappointment is cured by revamped expectations.

I like that story about the fellow who went to the pet store in search of a singing parakeet. Seems he was a bachelor and his house was too quiet. The store owner had just the bird for him, so the man bought it. The next day the bachelor came home from work to a house full of music. He went to the cage to feed the bird and noticed for the first time that the parakeet had only one leg.

He felt cheated that he'd been sold a one-legged bird, so he called and complained.

"What do you want," the store owner responded, "a bird who can sing or a bird who can dance?"

Good question for times of disappointment.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28