When Illness Creates A Habit Of Disappointment

“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.  

  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, the arrival of more difficulties. 

  Sometimes it feels as if the nerve endings of the soul are 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 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, that God holds our future in His hand. God still has 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 our 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.