Wed., Oct. 17, 2018

Psalm 96:11 – Let heaven celebrate! Let the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it roar!

I messed up. Big time.

Each week, I meet with Isaac. He is a fifth grader and the student I mentor through the local school district.

Last week, Isaac was so excited to remind me that the day after we met was his golden birthday. Apparently, he had told me this the following week. And I forgot. Actually, I don’t remember Isaac telling me this. Clearly, I wasn’t paying attention.

It was the day before Isaac’s golden birthday and I was not at prepared to celebrate this monumental event for a pre-teenager. Isaac told me it was OK that I forgot. I promised that we would celebrate his birthday this week.

Today is mentoring day. I am prepared. I have a bag full of goodies and a balloon to top it off. We will be celebrating Isaac’s birthday today.

I don’t know all of Isaac’s story, which is OK. What I do believe is that Isaac has encounter quite a bit of disappointment in his short life. Unfortunately, I added to it.

How do you feel when you are disappointed? Do you regularly get disappointed? By other people? Family members? Business associates? Friends?

Has God ever disappointed you as well? I know God has disappointed me.

It’s easy to say, “Disappointment is a part of life.” Actually, this is true. But hearing or saying those words really doesn’t make us feel any better, does it?

When I am on the side of letting someone else down, I often feel worse than they do. It is very important to me to follow through on any commitment I make. Not doing so causes me to be so hard on myself. My mind can easily spin a laundry list of no-do-good idioms of how silly I am.

So, can you imagine how God feels every time God is disappointed? We think we get disappointed in others? What about God? Every. Single. Day, God is disappointed. You. Me. Your best friend. Your worst enemy. We all disappoint God.

Yet, this doesn’t stop God from fully loving us, caring for us or wanting to move forward from the disappointment. Why is it that we can easily get caught in our disappointment? Why do we let disappointment overshadow all the good things in our lives? We let disappointment rule the emotional roost and it prevents us from appreciating and rounding up all the reasons we have to be grateful.

Thankfully, God doesn’t get hung up in disappointment. God moves forward quicker than the act of us letting God down. Doesn’t matter how many times I’ve disappointed God, God moves on. Doesn’t matter how many times you’ve disappointed God, God moves on. No questions asked.

Does this mean forgiveness is cheap or free? Nope. Does this mean disappointment has no meaning in God’s kingdom? Absolutely not. What this means is we can’t measure God’s currency in the same way we measure our currency because they aren’t the same.

I am confident Isaac will and has overlooked the disappointment I caused him last week. I think I have it right this week: a bag with snacks, stickers, a game, a balloon … what else could a 5^th grader want? I pray Isaac can share about his golden birthday with me tomorrow. And we’ll be able to extend it just a few more days with a little celebration tomorrow.

For God’s ability to overlook the times I disappoint God, I am thankful.

Almighty God – you are so quick to let go, move on and accept us just the way we are. Nonetheless, please forgive me for the many, many times I have disappointed you and others. May your great example inspire me to model your great love and actions in my life. Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne

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