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Finding God's Grace as a Blessing in Disguise

Turn Your Disappointments into a Miracle


Cliff Young

As I contemplate and prepare myself for another Christmas, I wonder what this season will bring for me, my friends and family, and for those around me. It's not surprising to find many of us facing continued hardships of a struggling economy, waning health and difficult (or non-existent) relationships, besides the typical "unknowns."

Just this week I received a couple of prayer requests, one from a mother battling multiple sclerosis (who may not survive until Christmas) and two others who have recently been diagnosed with cancer.

Isn't this the time of year when everyone is "supposed" to be happy, where wishes "come true," and everything turns out perfect (just like on the Hallmark and Lifetime channels)? Maybe that's why so many families head to Disneyland for the holidays, where it claims to be the "Happiest Place on Earth."

In many ways, this time of year seems to accentuate our sadness and disappointments more than it heals them. Maybe we just expect too much from the season.

Disappointment

Wikipedia.com defines disappointment as "the feeling of dissatisfaction that follows the failure of expectations to manifest" and The Encarta World English Dictionary defines expectation as "a confident belief or strong hope that a particular event will happen."

What I find interesting is how similar the "secular" definition of expectation is to the "biblical" definition of faith.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).

From the world's point of view, expectations are something we believe and hope will happen while from God's perspective, faith is being sure of what we hope for.

To expand a little further, expectations seem to be what we hope "we" (ourselves or others) can do (or have control in doing); while faith is believing what God is going to do. If our disappointment comes from the failure of somebody we believed in or put our trust in (including ourselves), maybe our expectations are placed more on "mankind" than on our faith in God.

This isn't to say we shouldn't have expectations for ourselves (or for others) or by having faith in God alone we won't ever be disappointed. There are many situations in life (and in death) where we may never understand the reason "why" things happen even with a strong faith, like the loss of a family member, a marriage breakup or a horrendous crime. However, faith is having the hope of being certain God is in control, believing he knows and loves us even in the worst of times and knowing his way is perfect (Psalm 18:30).

Hope

God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect (Hebrews 11:40).

If we continue to place all of our hope and expectations only in ourselves, naturally we will be disappointed. None of us are perfect nor can we expect to be. However, if we place our hope in God, "together" it will be made perfect.

Peter often had solid unwavering faith, hope and insight, while he was with Jesus.

When Jesus asked him, "Who do people say I am?" (Matthew 16:13-19)

When Peter walked on water. (Matthew 14:22-29)

Yet, many of us are quite aware of the time he wasn't.

When he denied Jesus three times. (Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75)

Peter was more steadfast when he was with the Lord than when he was apart from him.

As singles, we can sometimes feel as if life is an uphill, "us" against "the world," struggle. Although there are difficult situations to face specific to singles, we don't have to face our struggles alone. We have been offered a relationship with Jesus and a guide in the Holy Spirit, to live each day together with the Lord instead of on our own.

Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love (Romans 5:1-5).

Even still, many of still seem to be at the end of our rope "hoping" for a miracle.

Miracle

We need to remind ourselves that God is in every moment of our lives because He has a plan for us.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

Oftentimes when a trial arises, we immediately question "Why?" instead of "What?" We should be asking ourselves, "What is God doing through this bump in the road, struggle or heartbreak?" and "What do I need to learn, grow, change or do to be a part of it?"

Sheila Walsh, author and speaker, recently shared a story about being delayed at an airport causing her to miss her connecting flight. As she was in line waiting to be rebooked, a distraught woman ahead was silently pleading for God to show her he still knew who she was. When the woman turned around, she recognized Sheila from the Women of Faith Conferences and burst into tears explaining how much Sheila had ministered to her over the years. That was her sign from God.

Sheila could have looked at her trouble and thought, "Why me God?" Instead she made herself available to whatever he was doing and (together with him) ended up being used as a God-given sign for that woman.

I recently heard someone say, "Instead of always looking for a miracle, BE a miracle." What I perceive the person to mean was instead of always seeking for something to happen for you, go out and be that (miracle) for someone else.

We often think we know what is best for our lives and put pressure on ourselves to "make it happen," and when our expectations fall short we become disappointed. However, if we look beyond our own struggles and allow ourselves to be used by God, we may be surprised at the miracles we may see. God doesn't need us for his plans, but if we join together with him maybe we can be a part of something that is made perfect.

Don't miss what he is trying to do through you this season.

Cliff Young is a contributing writer to Sandlot Stories (ARose Books), as well as the monthly column, "He Said-She Said," in Crosswalk.com's Singles Channel. An architect and former youth worker, he now works with Christian musicians and consults for a number of Christian ministries. Got feedback? Send your comments and questions to CYdmg@yahoo.com.


**This article first published on December 21, 2010.

Zechariah and our Christmas Prayers

As Christmas approaches, I thought that it is good to highlight Zechariah and the role he plays during this advent season.  We are all familiar with his canticle as we recite or sing in our Lauds proclamation "the Dawn from on high will break upon us to shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death!"  

Zechariah both knew about light and darkness. He prophesied the coming of God and God's revelation to the people of Israel. But because of his doubt, specifically, about how God's power can become a reality in his life and for his barren wife Sarah, for nine months, he was prevented to speak.

As we anticipate the coming of Jesus, Zechariah can teach us to look closely at ourselves and examine how we experience God in our world.  Just like Zechariah, we can always speak of light and goodness, but like him, we too have strong doubts about so many uncertainties in our lives.  Sometimes, our darkness always seems too strong to loom against our world and our own life's horizons.  This darkness seems to overshadow the light, especially during this winter seasons in our lives and in the lives of the people today. 

Sister Joyce Rupp in her recent article in NCR, reminds us that even though we find some darkness in our lives and in our world, this darkness is not pure darkness. This darkness is always interspersed with light. She points out that  "it is to these dark corners that the Savior comes, bringing light by the tender mercy of God." She reminds us that, "to the darkness of our hurrying, our self-centeredness, our weakness, our frustration, our half-lived lives, our Savior comes. To the darkness of our world of war and torture, alienation and deceit, greed and corruption, our Savior comes."  We just have to believe that " the God's Light YEARNS to dawn upon us;"  All we need to do is "to open our hearts to receive this gift of loving presence."

Easier said than done. But like Zechariah, during this advent season, we are invited to believe in God's awesome greatness.  God is ever-revealing its Godself to us - in our lives and in the lives of the people around us. There is nothing dark in the presence of God's light.  May we experience these glimmers of light in the midst of our darkness.  Let us all join Sister Joyce Rupp in her hope-filled Advent prayers! 

"EMMANUEL, OUR GOD-WHO-IS-WITH-US 

may your Light 

be perceived by all who sit in darkness.

Be a Beacon of Hope 

for all whose lives are troubled this Christmas."

God's Grandeur

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.

It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;

It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil

Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;

And all that is seared with trade'bleared, smeared with toil;

And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil

Is here now, not can foot feel, being sod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;

There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;

And though the last lights off the black West went

Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs-

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent

World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

                          -Gerald Manley Hopkins, S.J. (1844-89)