Overcoming Disappointment

Life brings us some exhilarating moments as well as some tough disappointments. It is interesting to look at the latter word: dis-appointment. You thought you had an appointment with something good, encouraging or uplifting. But you were “dissed.” Disappointments are so hard to take that they are often  described as “bitter disappointments.”

"I Don't Deserve This"

Recently, I heard someone share a thought that is so valuable and helpful to me that I feel it must be passed on, and I have asked for her permission to share it with all of you.

Our sister in Christ shared about a particularly difficult patch of life that she and her husband had been through and how as different challenges mounted up, she thought of how many years they had sought to be faithful to God and how their lives surely demonstrated that faithfulness. But in the midst of the recent problems, she thought resentfully, “I don’t deserve this!” With that posture, she resisted efforts being made to bring resolution and help.

Conflict as Opportunity

While there are a few unusual people who seem to thrive on conflict, most of us would rather avoid it. We are attracted to things pleasant, and we look forward to happy interactions. Dread is the emotion that most of us feel in anticipation of conflict or before some planned time to resolve conflict. Some of you may be feeling it right now because of some situation in your life.

Too Much?

When I was first definitively diagnosed with MS twenty-six years ago it was a confirmation of what had been suspected ten years earlier by the second neurologist I saw because of my recurring symptoms. I was just 42 with still plenty of parenting left to do for our three daughters. I was involved in a busy ministry and trying to meet lots of needs. I had to wonder if God was giving me more than I could handle.

Unethical Amnesia

Several times recently I have seen the phrase “unethical amnesia.” I discovered that this refers to our human tendency to forget our own moral lapses and bad behavior, crowding them out of our minds with thoughts of what we do right.

Vending Machine Rage

Some years ago, the Journal of the American Medical Association published an article on “Vending Machine Rage.” It described fifteen injuries in a short period of time, three of them fatal, as a result of angry men kicking or rocking machines that had taken their money without dispensing the drink.  Maybe we can understand the injuries, but how about the fatalities?  In each case it seems the machines fell over on the men and crushed them.

Take a Break

We say a good deal in this space about overcoming because there are any number of health problems, relationship conflicts, financial challenges, and sundry other matters that threaten to push us back, press us down or just generally rob us of life. We need words, perspectives, thoughts and truths that help us continue and overcome. There is a lot heavy lifting for us.