August Advent, part 9: Disappointment

Disappointment comes with waiting - even when waiting with hope; or maybe especially when waiting with hope. Maybe the disappointment comes when the hope seems to fade.

I wonder if it’s because we’re hoping in things to happen in our time, which may be different than God’s time… Maybe like Israel waiting for the Messiah, and disappointment when all the messianic figures in their history did not work out like they expected. Maybe like Jospeh and Mary awaiting the birth of their son, the one whom the angel said will be the messiah, only to wind up going into labor in a stable. Maybe like the downcast and downtrodden nameless disciples running away from Jerusalem after the crucifixion, whom Jesus encountered on the way to Emmaus - they said to Jesus: “We had hoped he would have been the one to redeem Israel.”

And while Adventing well may mean waiting with hope, I wonder what Adventing well means when we live in the land of ‘had hoped.’

I wonder when you might have ‘had hoped,’ only to have things go differently.

I know I have friends going through this right now relating to healing and health, the justice system, miscarriages, job situations.

And today, I know that our family feels like the swamp of disappointment has sucked our shoes off, and knocked the wind (and hope) out of us.

How do we keep slogging along - how do we get up and keep hoping (keep going) when it seems futile?

Our family, my friends mentioned above, long to have the Emmaus disciples’ experience of Jesus encountering us and sharing a meal and restoring hope. This encounter of Jesus fueled their hope in such a way that they immediately got up and journeyed back along the road at night - a treacherous journey, yet not scary when they had real hope.

Oh, God, restore our hope. Encounter us - and all who feel stuck in disappointment - with your presence and grace and encouragement.