I heard the door to my room open and lifted my fingers from the keyboard. I turned to the door, “Come in, honey,” I said to my three-year-old granddaughter.
But instead of running towards me as is his routine, he gasped. “She forgot,” she said as she quickly closed the door. Then her little fingers tapped a few times and waited.
“Go ahead,” I told him.
I laughed inside. She remembered her manners after the fact.
She has three years; I am fifty years older and embarrassed to admit that I do exactly the same thing!
You may have too. Life goes on without big events. But suddenly, we find ourselves in situations where we have to choose. And bold in our step and confident in our wisdom, we burst through the door.
And it is only when that decision, instead of taking us to the place we expected, throws us into the dump of disappointment and discouragement. We look around, and the place stinks.
Sniff sniff. What went wrong?
Here are three ways to conquer that nasty disappointment:
Avoid it. Instead of rushing forward, with anything, choosing the right man, what job to take, where to live, or even what shade to dye our hair, in prayer, God’s wisdom should be the decision maker. When He invites us in, bad things are avoided.
Take a long look. Long enough to see options and get God’s opinion. This “waiting” period might clear our minds enough to make a decision between the “good” decision and the “God” decision.
Pray for God to close the door. I know, it sounds silly, but asking God to close the path that doesn’t line up with his plans will cancel out discouragement and erase disappointments. And sweetly delighted, when He opens the right door, we walk in, wearing the crown of victory each time.
God smiles with delight when we seek his opinion, lay the bundle of cares at his feet, and sit with an expectant heart and listening ears: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you.” . saying, This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).
Father, the long trail of mistakes, the times I’ve walked before I knocked on your door, the places I’ve been in pain and regret are too many to count. But I trust in your power to help me start anew, fully committed and equipped to follow your ways and avoid disappointment and discouragement. In the name of Jesus, amen.
What regrets keep you up at night?
What lessons have you learned?
What keeps you from seeking His opinion, seeking His guidance, and trusting His ways?
