“Pretending away reality never makes thing better. It just causes you to implode on the inside while smiling on the outside. That’s no way to live. Sometimes to get your life back, you have to face the death of what you thought your life would look like.”- Lysa TerKeurst
In Chapter 1 (“Between Two Gardens”) of It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lysa TerKeurst talks about what happens when we walk through days that are far from okay. On such days, we long for that missing good feeling. And, we demand its return.
Most noteworthy, Ms. TerKeurst cautions, this thought enters like a whisper through smaller disappointments – a burned dinner or overflowing dishwasher. Next, that whisper graduates into a louder voice – a job you failed to get, harsh words spoken by a friend. Finally, your disappointment roars with earth-shattering thunder – addictions, a breakup, bankruptcy.
Furthermore, Lysa describes disappointment as a feeling that people, circumstances, finances, and relationships should be better than they are. And, Ms. TerKeurst observes, everything should be better than it is. No wonder we feel exhausted! Therefore, Lysa takes the opportunity to unpack something Satan viciously fights to keep us from knowing. Disappointment holds potential for much good if we trust the heart of the Giver. The author explains:
“You see, disappointment can be a gift from God that feels nothing like a gift at all. It’s unexpectedly sharp, and the Giver can seem almost cruel as we watch someone unwrap it. Their fingers will bleed. They will feel tricked and so very tempted to stop trusting that anything good can be found within. . . . But disappointment isn’t proof that God is withholding good things from us. Sometimes it’s His way of leading us Home”
Today’s question: When have you forced a smile on the outside while you implode on the inside? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “DNA etched pictures of perfection”