Monday, March 7, 2011

disappointment

How do you deal with disappointment? That feeling of sadness and grief when someone you love fails you? When they don't meet your expectations or keep repeating the same mistake? Or just not live up to the potential you see in them?

How do you restore your trust in that someone?

What if that someone is you? When you feel like a disappointment to others?

A few weeks ago I was disappointed in someone else. Now I'm more at the point where I feel like I've failed others. Either way, it's not a nice place to be.

I think one of the hardest, yet also most amazing verses in the Bible is in 1. Corinthians 13. A beautiful description of True Love. No matter how successful we are in other areas of our lives, if we do not have love we are nothing.

And what is love like? Love is patient and kind, does not boast, does not envy, keeps no record of wrongs ... and the list goes on. Till we come to verse 7:

"It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Love ALWAYS protects, trusts, hopes, and preseveres. As I look back on so many situations where I wish I had responded differently, where I feel like I failed others, I need to remember that God has not given up hope. He is still protecting, trusting, and persevering when it comes to me.

And so I guess I need to extend the same courtesy and grace to those who disappoint me. Knowing that one day we will be able to love with perfect love in the presence of perfect Love.


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