Five Things to Try When Disappointment Clouds the Summer Sun

Summer quintessentially brims with sun-filled days and memorable moments. Pictures of dripping ice cream over sun-kissed hands are etched in our minds from summers long ago and inform expectations for the summer ahead. We write down our plans in the calendar, wishing they could be set in stone. Yet, we know our plans are subject to change.

So, what do we do when disappointment comes? Just in the past two weeks my family has experienced unexpected sickness, received a discouraging diagnosis, and walked through disappointing changes to plans. Does the weight of disappointment feel heavier against the backdrop of summer, or is the hard always in hardship no matter the season?

In reading Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon, my grieving heart was encouraged by his words. So, I recorded some thoughts in hopes that they bring you hope amidst your disappointments this summer and always.

1. learn to be content with divine order.

   The sun rises and sets in rhythmic patterns as evening and morning together form a day. One is not complete without the other, and so goes the pattern of joy and grief in our own lives. How I long to linger in the moments when all seems right in the world: a body without ailment, a relationship without hurt, a child without pain. Yet God also sees fit to allow the suffering, the less-than, and the darkness.

   So, how can we learn to rest in the divine order amidst the chaos in our lives?

2. begin and end your days with joy.

   If there is one daily rhythm that become precious to me, it is this one: to begin my day with gratitude and end it in a whisper of acknowledgement. As I journal a prayer of thanksgiving in the morning, I find my heart significantly more satisfied in Him. As I whisper acknowledgments of God’s faithfulness in the evening, I find myself more at rest. Despite our feelings, we can be assured that He protected us from some unknown assailant, provided more than we could ever think to ask, and proved His love for us abundantly more than we deserve.

   So, in what ways can we find time to begin and end our days with joy?

3. believe the night IS as useful as the day.

   I wonder what our lives would look like if we believed even pain has a purpose. We know it does in part, though difficult to admit. Our strength, endurance, and determination today is as a result of past pain. So, can we hold onto the sliver of hope that our most difficult days serve a purpose in our lives and the lives of those around us? Perhaps it can be more than a narrative we tell ourselves. Perhaps it can be a Good Father and Blessed Savior that we trust in through it all. As Job 2:10 MSG says, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"

   So, what would our lives look like if we believed that the night is as useful as the day?

4. continue your calling.

   Even if mere resistance to evil, let us continue the calling placed upon our lives. There is no plan B, disappointment, or discouragement that is not a part of God’s plan for us. There are good works He has prepared in advance for us to walk in and people He has set before us to love (Ephesians 2:10). Spurgeon says, “Each hour has its duty”, so continue stewarding your hours for His purposes and it will increase your joy.

   So, what has God called you to do, and how can you continue in it despite your disappointments?

5. remember summer is not the only season.

   Despite our best efforts, summer is not the only season for family gatherings, memorable moments, and daring adventures. So, when cars break down, kids get sick, or plans change, it’s going to be okay. There are seasons to come that may allow us the time to gather, the trip to explore, or the rest to enjoy. This is not all there is.

   So, take heart, and ask yourself what other time of year would it be possible to recreate some of the memories that you aren’t able to do today?

When waves of disappointment or discouragement threaten to steal your joy this summer, go back, try some of these things, and look for how God is using it all to complete what He began in you.

Remember, I’m right there with you.