We all struggle with disappointment from time to time. We try out for a sports team and when the final cut is made we find we have not made the team. We long for a new or different job so we interview and feel like we did a bang up job. When the day comes we find out they have hired someone else (and maybe not given you even the courtesy of a phone call). You are sure you “Aced” the test. You studied hard because you knew it would go a long way toward advancing your goal in a particular field. You did okay on the test, but not as good as you needed. Or maybe you strive hard to complete a course of study because you wanted a particular job, but after you got that job in just a short amount of time it isn’t what you thought, nor what you want.  You long to be married and thought you had found prince/princess charming, but the novelty wears off and your prince/princess finds someone else. 

Recently Jo and I suffered a big disappointment. For some it may not seem like much, but to us it took the wind out of our sails for a moment. In September my best friend, Dave, passed away after an 18 month battle with a glioblastoma. We visited in February of ’24 and one week later I got a call that was nothing but gibberish. After a number of phone calls trying to figure out what was happening, Dave was able to communicate about his brain tumor. 18 months later Dave lost his battle. He wanted no memorial or big production. Susan said, “This is one time I will not do what he asks.” This coming weekend has been on the calendar for almost 2 months for his celebration. Tickets were purchased to fly out Thursday and return Sunday. We were so looking forward to it. But I “little” thing called “a government shutdown” has changed all that. This past week, after making a call to the airline and being told one of the early morning non-stop flights from Indy to Phoenix would be cancelled (but they didn’t know which one), I made the tough decision to change our tickets to February of ’26. While I feel it is the tough/right decision to make, that does make it any easier to cope with the disappointment. 

However, what helps cope is knowing that God saw this and there is a reason for me changing our dates. I believe nothing happens that is not in God’s purview. I will trust that He has something better planned. I can already tell you that Jo is much more comfortable with it. The Open House Susan had planned already had 120+ people responding that they were coming to her house. Yikes! In February it will just be the three of us with a small gathering one evening with the family. 

Don’t see disappointments as final. See them as God has something better.