Some years ago, Philip Yancey penned a book with the inauspicious title, Disappointment with God. Indeed, we often don’t consider the depth of disappointment that we can experience in the household of faith. We could say disappointment is far more prevalent that we may want to admit.Disappointment can be so much a part of many teenagers’ lives. Some live in situations that are littered with enormous pain. Others have little parental involvement. Still others experience one disappointment after another in academics, athletics, relationships and so much more. In one form or another, we can expect to address these disappointments as youth leaders.
Preparations for Christmas also can be a disappointing time for teens—as it was for Joseph centuries ago. We don’t always get the outcomes we expect. Sometimes our plans go awry. At other times we may feel that other people let us down.
However, now is a great season to discuss these personal and universal disappointments. We all have them. Making our lives ready for the gift of Christmas is a wonderful time to be open and honest with our disappointments, to express the depth of our hurt and pain, to hold out the hope of redemption from our difficulties and brokenness.
As you consider your own disappointments, what are they? How might these disappointments be universal? Where might your ministry benefit from an honest discussion of our greatest disappointments in life?
