Call to Courage: A Faith to Follow Summer Blog Series Guest Post
Is It Possible to Delight in Disappointment?
by Michelle Martino
Key Verse: “But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy,” Ezra 3:12 (ESV)
Has God given you a dream you haven’t yet seen fulfilled?
For years, I longed for a specific writing opportunity. With every letter of rejection, I choked back tears and hoped for a “yes” one day. For my whole life, I’ve desired to be married. But every heartbreak deterred me from feeling worthy, or as if it would ever happen.
Maybe for you it’s your dream job.
Or a ministry goal to lead others in faith.
Maybe you desire a family.
Or maybe you’ve been so deeply hurt and the healing process is more challenging than you thought.
We can feel stuck in our disappointments when a situation doesn’t go as we expect. And friend, if that’s you today, know that this moment is not the end of your story. God has a greater plan through this path He is taking you.
In today’s key passage, Israel returns to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. After being held in Babylonian captivity, God’s people were finally freed! But, as they found upon their arrival, their place to worship God had been utterly destroyed by the pagans who opposed them.
The Israelites began to reconstruct the temple with joy. Ezra 3:11b tells us “And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.” (ESV) If you notice, every person praised God for this accomplishment and opportunity.
To their dismay, however, the size of the temple was significantly smaller than the original. This detail led many to lament. “But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy,” (Ezra 3:12).
It’s easy to be joyful when things seem to be going well. But, when we hope for our journeys to go one way and they turn out differently, we tend to sulk in disappointment. Why is this not going according to my plan? Why couldn’t this just be easier? What could I have done differently to make this better?
In this case, the Israelites reacted in two different ways: by praising God for what He had begun and by grieving what could have been. This new temple would pale in comparison to the original, but still, God provided a new house of worship for His people…what a blessing!
We, like Israel, have a choice in how we view and respond to disappointment. Things may not go according to our plans, but when placed in the hands of God, nothing is wasted. Sometimes the unexpected detours and setbacks are the best route to overcoming our disappointments.
Maybe it will lead to deeper healing you didn’t know was possible. Healing that couldn’t be rushed through, but needed to be carefully walked through, so you could come out whole.
Maybe it is an opportunity to prepare for the greater things to come. By learning to steward the little things, God will trust you to manage the bigger dreams when they come to pass.
While we wait and see what God wants to do with our disappointments, we have a choice as to which perspectives we embrace.
We can rejoice at the work God is doing, or we can grieve the work God hasn’t yet done. Or, as we wrestle through our circumstances, we might find ourselves doing both.
Friend, I’m not sure what your exact situation is today. But I know that God has something valuable for you in this season.
Here are some quick tips to help you navigate disappointment:
- Be honest with God
God wants a deeper relationship with you, through the good and the bad. He wants to rejoice with you and grieve with you. He can handle your hard questions and less-than-ideal emotions.
- Be open to what is right in front of you
When we don’t get our way, we may want to reject everything else. But friend, what if God has something good for you right where you are? Pay attention. Keep your eyes open to all God has lying ahead for you. That dream you have may not be fulfilled yet, but God could be doing so much more that you won’t want to miss out on.
- Be ready to receive
Instead of grasping for control, proceed through this season with open hands. Let yourself be fully surrendered to God, who has complete control. He can do exceedingly and abundantly more than we ever could.
If you notice, the best things we can do with our disappointment don’t have anything to do with tasks we can check off our lists. Instead, the best thing we can do is be with God, the One who is in control. We can rest in Him and trust Him to carry us through each and every disappointment. And maybe we’ll discover that God has more for us now than we ever imagined.
Michelle Martino is a teacher, writer, and speaker. She believes a personal relationship with Jesus is central to all other aspects of life. Michelle has a passion for learning languages and understanding other cultures, as they are foundational to connecting with others. Her goal is to help others discover and activate God’s joy in every season of life. Connect with her on her blog at considerthejoy.com or on Instagram @michelle_martino_
