Disappointment

Recently I have suffered one disappointment after another. I’m at a point whereby I don’t want to answer the phone, read my e-mail, or especially watch Television or read the newspaper. It does seem as if bad news is followed by seriously bad news, followed by devastatingly bad news, followed by crushing bad news, and on and on. I have often referred to it as the downward spiral. When trapped in the downward spiral, there isn’t much anyone can do but ride it out. Sooner or later the bad news will be replaced by good news, but it can get pretty ugly as you spiral further and further down into the abyss. Valleys and peaks is what this life is all about. Being in the deep dark valley is no fun. I wish that I could just skip this part of life. Unfortunately we must take the bad with the good.

I keep reminding myself of people who are real deep in the valley like the victims of the terrorist attack. I remind myself of all of those people who are starving to death. I remind myself of those people who cannot worship their God without the risk of death and/or torture. My downward spiral would be sitting on top of the world for most of the people in the world. After reminding myself of all of that, I remind myself that God loves me and is always with me, especially when I am trapped in the downward spiral. I remind myself that trials are part of God’s perfect design and are placed there in order to accomplish His well thought out purpose for my life. I remind myself that I cannot be defeated by trials and tribulation. I pray for peace of mind and that God will guide me through the valley back up onto a peak. Until then, I guess I will just grin and bear it.

_________________________
2Cor.4:8,17
We are hard-pressed on every
side, yet not crushed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not destroyed –
always carrying about in the
body the dying of the Lord Jesus,
that the life of Jesus also may be
manifested in our body.
—-
For your light affliction which is
but for a moment, is working for us
a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory,
while we do not look at the
things that are seen, but at the
things which are not seen. For the
things which are seen are
temporary, but the things which are not
seen are eternal.