“They are distressed, because they had been confident; they arrive there, only to be disappointed.” (Job 6:20)
After a long period of continued decline with my health the disappointment of my situation seemed to stamp itself upon me. There is something terrible about continually expecting disappointment, always preparing for more problems. It’s like anxiously awaiting rain under a stormy sky.
I believe disappointment has the power to imprint itself upon us, because even after I saw gradual improvement with my condition, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Sometimes it feels as if the nerve endings of our soul is frayed. Continued friction from additional hardships and trials can leave us in a state of mind where we are constantly on the alert for trouble, always expecting it. Our fright and flight response is in overdrive and it needs but a small trigger to set it off again.
Chronic illness takes a terrible toll on the mind, emotions, the soul of the afflicted. After long years of wear and tear we can be as beat up on the inside as we are on the outside. The soul grows weary from the constant barrage of hardship, so much so that it is hard to keep hoping for better days, brighter skies, and storm-free weather in our future.
Constant disappointment can also cause wear and tear on our relationships with friends and family. Plans often go awry, hopes go unfulfilled, and like a fish out of water gasping for air we struggle to find and keep hope in the midst of a long list of disappointments.
We can encourage ourselves and lessen the sting of disappointment by remembering what we have already overcome and by holding onto the victories that have come our way. We can constantly remind ourselves that our present distress and past hardships are not the final word, God holds our future in His hand, and He may yet have great things in store for us in this life, and certainly in the life to come.
Fellow Christians, you are not alone in your suffering and disappointment. Your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring hardship of one kind or another. Do not lose heart. We are in this together, and we will finish the race together, even as God lifts us up, carries, pushes, pulls, and empowers us to move forward in our personal and collective race in spite of disappointments.
Prayer: Dear Lord, life sometimes steals our thunder with continued disappointments, we can get so frayed and worn out, but give us strength for the race, and never let us forget that You are with us all the way. Amen.
About the Author:
Karlton Douglas lives in Ohio with his lovely wife. He is the author of the Kindle book “Chronic Illness” available in Amazon’s Kindle Store.
You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com
Do you sometimes feel like life has handed you and endless string of disappointments? What helps you to move forward in spite of your disappointments?
Karlton, you have expressed so well what so many Christians are coping with, whether they have a chronic illness or not.
My soul is especially weary right now. As I see it, duties and responsibilities, including medical appointments and tests, have been increasing at an alarming rate and my stress level is dangerously high. My recent memory, which has not been good for as long as I can remember, has been deteriorating in recent months. This is frustrating and slows me down even more.
I know God gives grace for each day, but I have the strong impression that I also need to make some tough choices and say “No” more often so that Ii will not get to the breaking point. I need God’s wisdom and courage to do this or I’ll be harder to live with and not be able to support and do things for others at all at some point.
One thing that does help me is remembering that it’s ultimately God I need to please, and not my husband, others or even myself.
Thank you for helping me remember, once again, that I’m not alone in these horrible struggles. It gives me courage and hope to carry on and trust our all-wise, loving God for the days to come.
Beth, constant stress can wear us down, we need time for rest and some room to recover from the constant wear and tear of the demands of life and especially the constant stress of affliction. I pray you find some time to just rest and a period to relax and be free of the stress for awhile.
Blessings.
Karlton
Yet another devotion that articulates soooooo well what is happening for me too. Thanks Karlton. It sure helps to know I’m “normal” in this journey! LOL. Lotsoluv Kerryn
I can so identify with this article. Like Beth, my soul is so so weary. I keep getting more health concerns , one piled on to of another and another and another, etc. . . . . . I am physically worn out, emotionally drained and so tired and overwhelmed I want to give up. Thst feels like so much easier to do. I am sick of doctors, tests, no one really listening to me and what I am feeling and how I feel!!! Going on like this doesn’t seem worth it anymore for me. I just don’t know which end is up anymore!
Thank you for letting me vent. I know this is all negative but it,s where I am. Lately, my faith is weak and I don’t seem to be able to get myself out if this muck of depression.
Thank God for this website and it’s precious founder , Lisa and all of y ou who understand when nobody else does. May god bless you all.
Thanks Kerryn! All of us “normal” people need to stick together 🙂
Blessings.
Karlton
Patty, depression is the worst. Very hard to cope with things when your mind feels like it’s in a dark cloud. I know it doesn’t seem like things will change or improve when in the midst of depression, but “this too shall pass.” I’ve been there, but it won’t last forever. I pray you feel better very soon.
Blessings.
Karlton
“Sometimes it feels as if the nerve endings of our soul is frayed.” Oh wow, does that ever hit home. Well said, and so true. I think it can bring us to the place of almost a disappointment habit. We ceratinly can tend toward living in that continual state of “waiting for the other shoe to drop.” When you add that to the stresses of life and the sense of being overwhelmed by daily situations, it’s extremely draining, which is where I am right now…but I have no doubt many here can totally relate. May God to encourage each one who comes to this site with the knowledge that we are not alone, that we are indeed running the race together with God’s presence never leaving us or forsaking us. Thank you for this great reminder!
Be blessed!
Bebe
Thanks Bebe 🙂 I have sometimes thought of the negativity of depressed thinking as my mind getting caught in a rut of circular thinking, going around and around in negative thoughts which can be hard to break out of. Sometimes counseling and medication is needed for Depression. And Depression is common among those with chronic health issues, often it is given as a secondary diagnosis to the first condition.
Blessings.
Karlton
Karlton, I so struggle with the ups and downs of Fibro and RA. It is true, you know when you have good days that the bad days are coming. You don’t plan too far ahead because you can’t count on feeling well enough. You can’t minister in certain areas because your health makes you unreliable.
One thing that I have been able to realize and take comfort in is the fact that no matter where you are, even sitting at home, that’s where God put you. You can minister from anywhere. I have met people I would never have met if I hadn’t been sick. Some of those I have been able to witness to.
Please keep me in prayer, the last few weeks have been really hard. I know the good days are coming, just wish they would get here already. lol
Hugs,
Diana
I pray things improve for you Diana. When I make plans I hope the stars align, the weather is perfect, I get enough sleep, and no new issue pops up, and then it might work out 🙂
Blessings.
Karlton