I recently faced a disappointment. I had made plans, invested a great deal of time, and it seemed to vanish overnight. I was flooded with many emotions from anger to defensiveness to sorrow. I had many questions. Was this really God’s will? Was there a human mistake? Are the two mutually exclusive? Where am I to go now?
I was reminded by a friend that disappointments can be places of transformation. It requires us to check our plans against God’s. It reminds us that it is not all up to us. I was asked to look for places where God could meet me in this situation. I was also reminded that God is not boxed in by our expectations. He is much more expansive than the little categories that we make.
Disappointments are sure to come. It is a part of our being broken people living in a broken world. But if we turn these misfortunes into places of worship, they may be powerful moments of growth. Often, it is not on the mountaintop where we encounter Christ, but in the wilderness.
