Bountiful
Blessings
November 4th, 2012
Most of us sat glued to the television last
night as Alabama played LSU. We were nervous. We yelled. We celebrated. We may
have even cursed a little. We settled in for a big, fat disappointment and
then….Alabama began to play a game of football. That two minutes worth of
football pulled them from an upset. We wondered why they could not have played
like that all night? We “roll tide” verbally and all over face book. Even some
of my Auburn fans commented on the game… positively…. I know, weird, huh?
People began commenting on AJ McCarron crying versus the Tim Tebow crying of
last year. Mmhm. I hear you. So what is my point to all this? I was right there
in the middle of it. The hype. The adrenaline. The disappointment. Why? Alabama
cannot win forever. At some point, they will have to lose. (Yes, I know my
Alabama friends are sending me death thoughts right now). But really, in life,
there are ups and there are downs. We are going to face disappointments. How do
you handle yourself when faced with disappointments?
In high school, that hot guy or girl that you
wanted to go out with it… uh huh, you know the one. Didn’t work out.
Disappointment. When you studied for the big test, I mean, really, really
studied, and then you got a B-. Disappointment. When you didn’t get into the
college you wanted or didn’t get the car you wanted when you were sixteen.
Disappointment. When you didn’t get the job you wanted or when you realized
that you and your best friend were drifting apart. Yep. Once again,
disappointment. When your children chose to visit the in laws for Christmas.
Disappointment. When your daughter married the bum or dropped out of college.
Disappointment. When your husband bought you a vacuum for Christmas. Yes, you
heard me. Disappointment. I have been disappointed in others and well,
disappointed in myself more times than I can count. Disappointment can be in
any form or fashion but it happens to us all.
Did you let it get the best of you? Did you
cry? Scream? Curse? Did you hold onto it like a security blanket? Did you get
mad? Did you take it out on others? Did you stomp your feet? Did you throw
things? Haha. You know that you are sitting there nodding at some of these. I
feel you. I am guilty as charged. But you and I both know that is not the way
we are supposed to behave. Without disappointment and not getting everything we
want, how will we learn to appreciate what we get or what we have???
Ok. So lets look at disappointment from another
angle. Imagine Jesus walking through a town. He talks of the Lord, his grace
and mercy, our salvation and our future. He performs miracles with fish and
loaves of bread. He heals the sick. He walks on water. AND STILL, people doubt
him, people make fun of him. I cannot comprehend the disappointment that he
must have felt. Knowing he was doing everything for us- to save us, and we
still rejected him. He offered us the gift of eternal life and many scoffed to
his face and continue to until this day. How disappointing. Yet, he held his
head high. Trudged on and kept trying. Kept trying to reach the next one and
the next one and still doing his best for the lost one. That catch phrase
“WWJD?”. Yes. We could all learn something by thinking of it when we are, well,
faced with challenges. Lets just put it that way.
Life can be a disappointment. It is not always
what we want or what we hope for. But you know what? There is so, so much to be
thankful for. So much to appreciate. So much to praise God for. Even the
disappointments. They make us stronger. They show our character. They help us
to appreciate the good things even more. Thank you, Lord, for the
disappointments!
Bible verse for the week:
“When times are good, be happy; but when times
are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.” Ecclesiastes
7:14
Prayer for the week:
Dear Lord, please help me to overcome
disappointments. May I draw strength from you, O Lord, so that I may conquer my
fear, my anger, my disappointment. Whether a botched football game or a missed
job opportunity, please help me to put it in perspective. You made the bad
times as well as the good times. Each serve a purpose as my life is meant to
serve you. Help me to take the disappointments in stride and become a better
person. Only through you - your grace and your mercy - can I do it. In Jesus’s
name. Amen.
Bible fun for the week:
1, What did God use to form the first man? The
essence of heaven, the dust of the ground, the waters of Eden or the fruit of
the field?
2. What word describes Adam and Eve’s first
home, Eden, in Genesis 2:8?
3. What was Adam’s job in Eden? To enjoy it
forever, to build it for thy descendants, to dress it and keep it or to protect
it from harm?
4. True or False: The Nile was one of the four
rivers of Eden.
5. What did God have Adam do for all the
animals?
6. True or False: Adam gave his wife a name
besides Eve.
7. How does Genesis 2:25 describe Adam and Eve,
even though they were “not ashamed”?
Answers from last week:
In the beginning, form, Let, months, true,
kind/kind, in our image, seed bearing fruits and herbs, six, very good
Terri
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