Dealing With Disappointment

Last Monday I received a email confirming that I was selected to be on one of the work shifts for Extreme Makeover Home Edition's 200th episode in Joplin Missouri. Up until that point, the volunteer coordinators had been sending out multiple emails thanking everyone for their support, but reminding us that only a selected few (10,000 total) would be given a work shift and the rest were invited to continue showing their support by writing letters to the families or going to the spectator area that would be set up outside of the work  site. In the last of those emails, we were told that on Oct. 10, those who were selected would receive a confirmation email. And so, being the enthusiastic person that I am, I spent most of Monday logging in and out of my email account, hoping to find the long awaited message of acceptance. As the day began to end, I still had not received a email of any kind, and I was beginning to feel really disappointed and sad at the prospect of not being chosen. I'm pretty sure that my family bared the brunt of my feelings, for which I apologize, but I was pretty down. I knew that the day was not over until 11:59pm, yet at 10pm, things were not looking hopeful. I began to wonder how I was going to handle the news of not going; I had been looking forward to this project since I signed-up in early September, I was just too excited to be let down now. If I was told that the number of volunteers needed was already reached, and the ones chosen had more skills that I had, I would have understood; however, I probably would have been in need of a extreme chocolate fix. As I stated earlier, I did get the email (at 11pm), so I did not have to deal with all of the feelings that were starting to rise up. I have to admit that I did not handle the situation very well, and I question how I will deal with disappointments in the future.

In Philippians 4:11, Paul states that he has learned to be content whatever the circumstances. The definition of content is: Desiring no more than what one has;satisfied. So in the verse Paul is saying that in every situation he is completely satisfied, that he found no want for more or for something different.  Can you imagine being 100% happy with every circumstance you found yourself in? It's pretty much impossible for me to understand how that would feel. The answer of how this state of mind was even possible for Paul is found two verses later; in Philippians 4:13 - For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Christ does not promise a life free of disappointments, but He can can help us live a life where disappointments are mere trifles.

And so I wonder, how do you deal with your disappointments?