A great way to test the level of our confidence and trust in God is to examine how the little (and larger) disappointments of life affect us. This is not to say there is not room for grieving, sadness, or having disappointments and processing that in honesty. It is to say that when we truly know the goodness of our Father, that He is omnipotent, omniscient, and that He truly loves us more than we could ever love ourselves (let that one sink in), then those disappointments of life don't become so crushing. Again, not there is not a time for grieving and disappointment in life. We only get ourselves into more trouble down the road if we don't properly acknowledge those emotions as well.
Jack and I were in our birth class last week and the instructor led us through an exercise of processing what we would do to cope in a moment of real disappointment, where our labor and delivery experience wasn't going as planned, or perhaps our "worst fear" was now a reality.
The guidance was to "turn inward" and look for affirmations of ourselves. I was really struck by how shallow of a coping mechanism this is, that life without Christ really is a "dead end" when it comes to disappointment or suffering. When something is specifically out of our control, what good is it to turn inward to ourselves, who really can't control the outcome and are specifically "powerless" in that moment. But what an assurance, what true peace, to in that moment turn and look at Jesus, to look at our good Father and surrender ourselves in trust into His hands.
That is true peace, true consolation, to surrender ourselves to our Father who is all powerful, who already knew we would encounter the suffering or disappointment we are facing, who is anticipating us at every moment with His love, and who has given us a promise that He will use all things not just for His greater glory, but for our own good.
Turning to this Father, laying ourselves down in His loving Heart, this is true peace.
Love this <3