What are they and how do we walk through them? It’s safe to say everyone experiences disappointments sometime in their lives. Some disappointments are slight and therefore easier to let it go.
The word disappointment means: “a feeling of dissatisfaction that follows the failure of expectations or hopes to manifest.” Another meaning for disappointment is, “the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the defeat of ones hopes and expectations.” These are the same just worded a little differently.
Bigger disappointments can cause us to draw back in and that is when you’ve not dealt with your own expectations and feelings.
When we don’t deal with the disappointments they will worsen into discouragement and then despondency. Disappointments deal with our expectations and hopes. Therefore, we can change our thinking about them. The choice is ours. Some things are easier to let go of than others. It’s the other things that need to be worked through.
For example, I have plans to go to lunch with a friend and they must cancel. That’s a little disappointment but I move on and do something different because we all get unplanned interrupting events we must deal with.
But when the expectation of the event is high and it doesn’t happen then disappointment in forms of sadness, frustration and even hurt can and should be dealt with.
So how do you deal with and walk through disappointments?
First, recognize your disappointed, write it down or talk it out. Repressing it or stuffing it only makes it worsen.
Secondly, step back and detach from the feelings of the disappointment and take a good look at every side of it. Ask your self a few questions such as ‘were my expectations to high’ or ‘was this out of my control’? What ever question that helps you to get the right perspective is the question for you.
Thirdly, pray about it. God knows how your feeling and thinking. Therefore, be honest about it in your prayers.
Fourthly, allow God to heal your heart concerning the hurting disappointments.