Disappointment… What A Crappy Feeling

Did I ever tell you that when I was fourteen, I hit the game winning home run in my city’s Little League championship game? Actually, I hit two home runs as my team, the Jaguars, beat the previously unbeaten Vipers to take the city crown. True story. But at the end of the night, instead of celebrating with my friends after my big moment, I fought back tears until I was home alone and then they came streaming down my cheeks.

All season long, all I thought about was playing for the city’s All-Star team. This was a team made up of the best boys in the entire league and they would travel the country playing other cities while competing for a national title. Being a part of that team meant the world to me. It was after my championship game that they announced who would comprise the All-Star team, and my name was not called. After what should have been the happiest moment of my young life, I was left saddened and disappointed.

Two decades later and I still deal with disappointment. I experienced disappointment just this week when I wasn’t chosen to be part of a project I really wanted to be involved with. I felt like I was perfect for the job and it excited me each time I thought about it. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more excited I became. I began to picture myself on the project and envisioning how that might open up doors for future projects. I had all of these wonderful thoughts until I received a text notifying me that I didn’t get the job.

Disappointment happens and there’s nothing we can do about it. No matter who you are or what you do, you will experience the emotion sooner or later. But disappointment doesn’t have the same affect on me today as it had on me when I was fourteen years old. I now have a better understanding of my life and how God is guiding me through it. I now have a firm understanding that God is leading me elsewhere for a reason. I don’t understand it now but I know I will in time. I believe God taught that fourteen year old me a lesson of humility and perseverance. God guides my life because I earnestly seek Him and His guidance each day and I know I serve a faithful God who loves me.

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