What if...we knew how to deal with disappointments?

Recently, I have been grappling with a series of disappointments. And it has not been easy. I’ve come to realize that disappointments occur when we feel that our expectations were not met. We were holding on to the belief that something was when in reality it is not. One of the arenas where disappointments can cause the deepest hurts is in relationships. Friendships, in particular, can go sour when there is disappointment. Disappointments in friendships usually stem from betrayal, when friends show a side of themselves that we did not think possible.

In theory, we should know that betrayal is just another manifestation of human behavior, and humans are not perfect. Therefore, in our in our state of human imperfection we will fail others and others will fail us. Yet, on an emotional level betrayal hurts – it cuts deep.

We wonder how we could ever look the other person in the eye again? We create scenarios of meeting them in a hallway, on the street, or a party. We wonder what to do in case of sudden encounter? Should we act “normal” and smile and greet as if nothing happened? Or, perhaps we should quickly turn our faces and pretend that we hadn’t seen them at all?

If that were not bad enough life itself offers its own series of disappointments. There’s always something trying to rain on our parade. Sometimes a regular “soaking” can cause us to become discouraged and dispirited.

If we knew how to deal with disappointments then we would know that they are temporary, and sometimes they are even necessary. While we cannot negate the pain they bring into our lives, there are lessons to be learned. Perhaps that is the way to deal with disappointment – stare it straight in the eye, and ask God: What lessons would you have me to learn from this? That divine revelation alone can help us to begin to heal.