Disappointments

// June 30th, 2009 // Dave (personal), church planting, church relevance, life, people

I don’t think I will ever get over how things that may seem negative can be turned into positives. I’ve experienced some things that have been very disappointing recently. It’s always when I put my faith in others, but luckily I am not measured by their actions and closed mindedness. People can do their best to make themselves look better by taking things out of context and slinging them back at me, but I don’t care. For me, it is all about the test of time. Who will still be standing because of the truth in their words and actions? It’s not about what others think, but more about how true I can stay to who I am and what I am supposed to do.

In the end, no matter what people say, often they are selfish at heart and when I can no longer contribute to something they lash out or just distance themselves. It feels like there was never any respect for my contribution–no acknowledgment of thanks–just disappointment in how they handle themselves.

I’ve been asked several times by people if I have been disappointed at the small numbers of people that have attended our public preview services for Revolution Church Sacramento. Since the preview services were more for our benefit in helping to get unified in vision, participate in something like One Prayer that showed unity within the body of Christ, and letting people know we were more than just a conversation in someone’s living room, I am not disappointed at all. Others may have been disappointed, but their perspective would be out of context of what I expected from our time together in June. For me, the truly disappointing thing has been when others have been there for me when I was giving of my time and talents to help them, but left me cold when I wasn’t there for them. I guess I’m more saddened than disappointed, but disappointment is a by-product of putting our faith in others based on present circumstances when it is inevitable that some will just end up showing themselves to be fair weather friends.

As I was thinking about this post, I decided to look for some quotes on the topic of disappointment. It turns out they were just what I needed and I hope that they help you have a new perspective on disappointing times and situations as well:

“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” –Robert Kiyosaki
“Disappointment to a noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers, intensifies, but never destroys it.” –Eliza Tabor
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.
“People look at you and me to see what they are supposed to be. And, if we don’t disappoint them, maybe, just maybe, they won’t disappoint us.” –Walt Disney
“One’s best success comes after their greatest disappointments.” –Henry Ward Beecher

Through it all, we will never please everybody and trying to do so will lead not just to disappointment, but also to frustration and failure. We should always hope for the best in others, but know that there will be times when we let our expectations get in the way. In the end, disappointments are a fact of life and as the quotes above indicate, can be used to make us better and stronger. After going through some disappointments recently, I’m greatly anticipating some success as I position myself with where and whom God calls me.