Snow Tomorrow

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. (Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV). I’ve seen it happen more than once since moving to Middle Tennessee. Every weather forecaster in our area agreed, “We will get snow!” We were told that it would begin with rain and then change to snow with perhaps some significant accumulations. And, right on cue, we had rain and it changed to snow. But, the ground really wasn’t cold enough for it to stick. There was no accumulation, no cancellations, and no snowmen! It was beautiful, but disappointing. Being disappointed because it did not snow is one thing. However, other disappointments are not so easy to handle. Like when you’ve been sick of your job for years. You think you are finally getting your chance. You’ve prayed for the opportunity. You’re confident. Then, you get the call, “You didn’t get the job.” Or, it may be when you’ve dealt with the disease. You’ve followed the doctor’s orders. You’ve rested. You’ve taken your medicine. You’ve prayed. But, then you hear the doctor say, “It’s back.” Or, you’ve prayed all your life for a Godly mate. You think you have found her. The relationship is progressing nicely. Then, out of the blue, she tells you, “It’s over.” Your hopes are gone. Your dreams have faded. What might have been, will not be. What do you do? How do you deal with the disappointment? When those following Jesus faced their great disappointment and saw their dreams dying on the cross, they were confused and afraid, but they waited... they hoped... they prayed... they listened... they opened their eyes... they opened their hearts... they saw Jesus... they believed... and, their disappointment turned to joy. We aren’t promised that if we follow these steps we’ll wake up tomorrow and find our disappointments gone. However, if we look to Jesus in our disappointment, the Lord does promise that our disappointment will eventually turn to joy. Fred Smith has said, “Cynicism is cancer of the spirit. The bad cells of sarcasm attack the good cells of hope and, if undiagnosed, will eventually destroy them.” During football season, the college bookstore at Iowa State puts a big sign in the window saying "Kill Kansas" or "Whip Washington" or something like that, depending on the name of the upcoming foe. In 1983, just before Iowa State was devastated 72-29 by the nation's top-ranked team, the wording was altered a bit. The sign read: "Maintain Dignity Against Nebraska." Don’t let disappointment defeat you. Keep hope alive in your heart!