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Dealing With Disappointment
It’is
important to realize that our faith also may be a source of our disappointment--that
is, when we misuse faith. We often pray for things to happen, and when
they don't, our disappointment may deepen. We feel that God has abandoned
us, that God is not listening, or, perhaps, that God is punishing us for
something we've done. Similar to a child asking for gifts from Santa, when
our prayers aren’t answered as we had hope, we begin to question our beliefs. Although God is not Santa, God does listen and does answer our prayers, regardless of how things might appear.
The use of “God as Santa” in prayer reminds me of the words of former President Jimmy Carter, a man of deep faith and strongly held moral convictions. When asked if he believed that God answers all our prayers, he smiled and said, “Of course God answers all prayers. Sometimes the answer is ‘Yes.’ Sometimes the answer is ‘No.’ And sometimes the answer is, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’” We have to be willing to understand and accept that life can have many disappointments, but God and our faith should not be one. We can always rely on God for support, love, nurturance, blessings, abundance and guidance. God will help us deal with disappointment, if we’ll only ask.
--Earle Donelson, Ph.D.
from “Dealing with Disappointment”
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