Life’s Unexpected Disappointments

Last night was the Olympic 1500 metres final. All of the experts made it clear. It was between Britain’s Josh Kerr and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen. We Brits knew that Josh Kerr would win.

As it happened, both were beaten by the American Cole Hocker, leaving Kerr second and Ingebrigtsen fourth… unexpected disappointment. (…but not for Hocker!)

Yesterday afternoon a local gent, Bob Girling, took pictures of a lifeboat rescuing people off the Lowestoft sandbank. I don’t know the story – who they were or why they were there, but if the lifeboat was involved my guess is that that the afternoon wasn’t tuning out as expected for any concerned.

‘I am a man of constant sorrow’ has been going around my head for the last few days… I first remember Peter, Paul and Mary’s version – then Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Rod Stewart… most recently I remember it in the film ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou’?

‘I am a man of constant sorrow. I’ve seen trouble all my days…’ the unending journey of a man wandering around aimlessly, …the heartache and grief of leaving home and the familiar… isolated, without friends or comfort… resignation to a life of disappointment.

Yesterday I chatted with two good friends. Both were respected Christians who dedicated their lives to Christian ministry. But life didn’t turn out the way they expected – failed marriages, let down by Christians that they trusted, ill health, poor choices, disappointment…

I remember Jeremiah’s words:

I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

Life’s unexpected disappointments come… but then there’s God’s continuing faithfulness and love… equally unexpected, but never disappointing.