by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Disappointment comes to each of us in one form or another. Wouldn’t you agree?

Near the beginning of last month I received disappointing news regarding something I have pursued for a very long time. Something I felt sure I was closing in on taking hold of, but didn’t.

The news arrived the same day I had a routine colonoscopy. Yeah. That was fun. Not. Good news on that report, though … the procedure showed no problems. Yay, God!

The disappointing news arrived the same day a dear friend of mine who is being treated for pancreatic cancer, learned once again her entry into a new medical trial was delayed, for about the fourth time, because her numbers were out of whack. Not only was the trial delayed, they have decided the trial is no longer an option for her. She and her doctor will now discuss a maintenance plan.

Put into perspective, my disappointing news was nothing, absolutely nothing, compared with hers.

When we get hit with news we aren’t expecting; news we don’t want to hear, we have choices.

It’s the old lemons/lemonade thing. We can choose to become bitter, or we can choose to become better. It’s our choice.

I’m finding it’s much better to choose the lemonade. Doesn’t leave us all shriveled up and sour.

I’m also finding it is during those times of disappointment Satan seems to work overtime to draw us away from God by telling us lies, which we need to be extremely careful not to listen to.

What are the odds I’d receive my news when I returned home from my once-every-ten-years colonoscopy at a time when I was rather weak and vulnerable?

Instead of dwelling on my disappointment, I forged ahead, praised God for who he is, what he has done, and what he will do. I held firm to the Truth of who God is, and who I am in him through the power of Christ living in me.

Satan is a defeated foe. That’s a fact. He has no power over us except what we give him. It’s up to us whether we allow him to steal our joy or not.

As I mentioned in my review of Tim Tebow’s book, Shaken, Tim suggests we ask ourselves some important questions when life doesn’t go the way we planned.

Whose are we? Who are we when life is steady? Who are we when storms come?

Instead of letting the disappointments of this life define who we are, we need to remember what God knows about us is more important than what others think about us.

God created us.

We are his workmanship.

He has a purpose and a plan for our life. Amen?

How do you handle disappointing news?

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But I will still be glad in the Lord; I will rejoice in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:18 (NCV)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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