Disappointments

A friend of my dad’s offered him a job way across town. It was a position he could not turn down. I hated having to move; it meant changing schools. I had friends I did not want to leave behind, and having to make new friends all over again was not something I looked forward to doing.

Since then, I have had many other disappointing experiences: friends who did not always have my best interest in mind, worthy goals set but not met, a great interview for a job I wanted but did not get, and plenty more.

Often, disappointment over dashed hopes can cause us to turn away from God. We fear our needs and aspirations are not getting met, and we decide to take matters into our own hands, which usually leads to more setbacks and disappointments.

Do we trust God to fulfill our needs and hopes? Have we forgotten the many blessings we have received? Do we not recognize we have turned to our own ways (Isaiah 53:6)?

In Luke 15, the parable of the prodigal son, we are reminded we can lose our way like a lost sheep, leaving us feeling helpless and confused. Yes, God gives us the freedom to go our own way. But without the openness to grace and trust in the guidance of the Spirit of God, we can find ourselves going astray and far from our heavenly Father, experiencing disappointment after disappointment.

If we find ourselves wandering away from God into dangerous territory, lured by the pleasures of the world, we need to remember our heavenly Father longs for us to return home. His arms are opened wide and his heart is filled with compassion and forgiveness.

Let us turn back to God and allow him to lead us to our true place as children of God. It is a place of meaning and purpose where we see the disappointments in our lives as stepping stones that lead us closer to the likeness of Christ, filling us with peace, hope, and the love of the Father.

Lord, help me see the failures and disappointments as stepping stones, leading me back to you and helping me turn my life around for the better. Thank you for clearing a path that always leads me back to you. Amen.

Throughout This Day: Reflect on the disappointments God permitted in your life and ask him to help you see how those experiences reshaped and redirected your life.