disappointment – Lisa Preuett~Rest Stop for the Soul

As much as we try to hold it all together, sometimes the threads of our life unravel and come completely apart.

The phone call that changes everything in a matter of seconds.

The job you thought was secure is taken away.

Your stellar health takes an abrupt turn in the opposite direction.

Your loved one does something unthinkable, smashing your heart to pieces.

You feel unappreciated by everyone around you; do they even care?

I like the way David writes in Psalm 13 when his life was falling apart. Even though it was written many centuries ago, the pain and agony is no different from what we feel today:

How long, Oh Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Give light to my eyes or I will surely sleep in death!

I’m right there with you, David. Sometimes I feel like God has surely forgotten me. Surely he’s forgotten or he wouldn’t have let my life fall apart, right?

Sometimes negative thoughts shoot like arrows straight to my soul. I know I shouldn’t be thinking such horrible things, but I just feel so overwhelmed with all that’s happened.

Come on, God! How long are you gonna let this person ruin my life? When will they be held accountable? Do you even know what’s happening?

When life falls apart, sometimes we don’t see any light at all. All feels dark. The bottom drops out. Disappointment can easily turn to despair. And if despair lingers long enough, it turns to deep depression. When you’re depressed long enough, you’d be perfectly fine to just never wake up.

I have felt this way before when life falls apart. You’ve probably felt this way when life falls apart.

I mean, heck, look at David! Not only did he feel this way, but he wrote it down for goodness sake!!

I’m so glad he wrote it down. Because Psalm 13 doesn’t stop there. He pours his heart out to God in verses 1-4 after his life falls apart. But then he keeps going. Look at what David does in verses 5-6. Even in the midst of his life falling apart in front of his very eyes, look at the 3 things he embraces:

I trust in your unfailing love .

So he trusts in God’s love. A perfect love. Unfailing.

People will fail us all the time… Even those who love us the most.

He embraces trust, and not his feelings. Not his emotions. When we’re falling apart, feelings and emotions will absolutely deceive you. David is wise to put his trust in something that won’t fail him.

My heart rejoices in your salvation.

Are you kidding me here, David? What is there to rejoice about when life is unraveling all around you? This is what I thought when I first read this verse! He’s not rejoicing about his circumstances. He’s not rejoicing in the way people are treating him. He certainly isn’t rejoicing about feeling alone.

But he rejoices in his salvation.

He knows (not feels) that God has his back, no matter what. He knows that ultimately, no matter what happens with the junk spewing around him, he belongs to God.

I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.

Wow. Even in the midst of utter turmoil and feeling shaken, David chooses to sing. And he wasn’t singing to perform for anyone in this instance. He sings a song to the Lord. Why?

Because of God’s goodness.

He probably thought about all the blessings God had poured out upon him before his current catastrophe. When we focus on God’s goodness from the past, it gets us through the present problems.

And if you don’t like the sound of your own voice? Then turn on some Christian music and sing along with someone else’s. Yes! Praise and worship music lifts my spirit when I’m in a slump.

Even if life isn’t falling apart for you right now, at some point it will (John 16:33). Purpose now in your heart to embrace these 3 things for when those moments come crashing down.

If you are in the midst of life falling apart right now, embrace these powerful truths and hold on….He is with you.

TRUST (in his unfailing love)

REJOICE (in your salvation)

SING (about his goodness)

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

A few months ago, I asked people on Facebook if they ever felt discouraged scrolling through countless pictures where everyone looked perfect, polished and everything seemed so positive. And then I came out of my comfort zone and posted the following pics:

Dirty dishes…Overflowing laundry

Nasty sink…No makeup

The response I got from people was overwhelming. Many said my post and pics were refreshing and encouraging to them. Some agreed that they too felt discouraged by the false reality they see on Facebook.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the lie that everyone has it all together. Or that what you see on Facebook is what your life should look like. (And if you really want to take it a step further, check out Pinterest!)

Perfect kids. Immaculate homes. Tantalizing meals that could be on the cover of a magazine. Flawless and polished selfies. Yep. I’ve seen all of these. And yes, I have posted all of these. I’ve proudly posted my kids’ achievements, my exciting celebrations, and of course the perfect date night pics with my husband. I’ll even admit to taking 10 selfies before choosing the best one!

There’s nothing wrong in and of itself for us to post these things on social media. So please hear me out on this. I’m not saying we should all stop posting the highlights of our lives to share with friends and family.

But what I am saying is this:

Let’s not compare the highlights of other people’s lives with the messy reality of our own lives. For every “highlight” pic you are viewing there are probably 10 other pics of real life you’re not seeing.

For the perfect date night pic you see of your friend, you’re not seeing the pic of the argument that spun out of control on the way home from that date.

For the polished pic of your old high school buddy, you’re not seeing the pic of what she looks like in the morning before she gets her makeup and hair in place.

For the pic of your neighbor’s kids playing their best at a competitive sports game, you’re not seeing the pic of that same kid having a melt-down the next morning getting ready for school.

For the pic of your co-worker’s gathering at her house with everything perfectly in place, you’re not seeing the pic of her house the day before where everything was a disaster and she was yelling at her kids and husband to help her get everything ready. (Why do I know so many details about this?)

For the pic of your friend’s perfectly healthy dinner, you’re not seeing the leftovers she served her family two nights in a row. Or (gasp!) the cheeseburgers and fries she desperately gave her kids from McDonald’s drive-through on the way to soccer practice.

It’s easy for us to fall into a rut of thinking that everyone has it all together. That nobody struggles with anything. That something must be wrong with us. And when we are bombarded with perfect images plastered all over social media, we buy into the perception of this false reality.

Our comparison of reality to something false only breeds disappointment, discouragement and insecurity.

So what can we do differently? How do we avoid this trap?

I don’t think we should just delete all our social media accounts and say forget it. No, I think there’s a better solution.

Instead of always posting your BEST moments, how about courageously choosing some that aren’t so great? Choose to be REAL.

If my 4 pictures of a messy house and no makeup brought so much encouragement and refreshment to so many people, then what would happen if more of us did the same? What if we chose to be REAL and it trickled down to countless others who are definitely feeling the same way? Think about the ripple effect it could have.

Go ahead and be brave!

Show that pic of your dirty laundry (okay, maybe hide your husband’s underwear.)

Show that pic of your burnt dinner.

Show that pic of your living room littered with toys.

Show the clutter plastered in the floorboard of your car (yes, I’m talking about the fast-food wrappers, empty water bottles and sticky sippy cups.)

Show your “bad-hair” days!!!

It doesn’t even have to be a picture. Maybe a simple statement that you’re having a rough day…with your kids. With your spouse. With work. With life.

Will you join me? If you’re on social media, how about using the label #RealLife with your posts or pics? Whether it’s once a week or every other day, join me in encouraging others with reminders that we all struggle. We all have messes to clean up. We all have challenges with our kids, spouses or co-workers.

We don’t live in a false reality. We live in REAL LIFE!

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

Check out my book, Embracing The Race: 40 Devotions for the Runner’s Soul

Tag: disappointment