{"id":5253,"date":"2024-12-27T13:31:14","date_gmt":"2024-12-27T18:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/?p=5253"},"modified":"2024-12-27T13:33:14","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T18:33:14","slug":"disappointment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/?p=5253","title":{"rendered":"Disappointment"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/a>
The<\/em><\/mark> <\/mark><\/em>Rev. Jo Nygard Owens<\/em><\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Did you ever jump in a pile of leaves as a child? That fluffy mound of red, orange, and brown practically begs children everywhere to take a running leap and jump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you see it in TV commercials, the children practically bounce when they land, with showers of leaves floating through the air. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reality of jumping in a freshly raked pile of leaves, however, never lives up to the dream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no pillowy softness to cushion your fall. There is only the hard, unforgiving ground which knocks the air out of your lungs. The leaves close in over your head, along with a feeling of betrayal and denied delight. You\u2019re left disappointed and spluttering, desperately trying to breathe again, and to right yourself after the fall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her book \u201cAtlas of the Heart,\u201d social scientist Bren\u00e9 Brown defines disappointment as \u201cunmet expectations. The more significant the expectations, the more significant the disappointment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not you\u2019ve ever jumped in a pile of leaves, everyone has faced disappointment. The metaphorical feeling of having air knocked out or the bottom dropping out, desperately trying to figure out how to regain equilibrium. And let\u2019s be honest \u2014 half of America likely will be disappointed with this year\u2019s election results. One side is going to win, and the other side will wake up the next day with an overwhelming sense of despair and disappointment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When disappointment strikes, it can feel as if your tank of hope has been emptied. Maybe you\u2019re not sure how to refill it, or even if it can be refilled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no denying disappointment when it comes. It can\u2019t be avoided or squashed down; it makes itself known in the pit of your stomach and it clouds all interactions. Often times, it is commingled with an element of grief. Left unaddressed, that toxic stew of grief, disappointment, anger and rumination prevents any opportunity for healing \u2014 and without healing, the disappointment festers and takes on a life of its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the good news: Disappointment is not the life God has in mind for us, and disappointment need not take up long-term residency in your soul. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Book of Jeremiah, the exiled Israelites taste the bitter disappointment of losing their homeland, status, and way of life. God reminds them that exile is not all there is. \u201cFor surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the key: hope. Writer and pastor MaryAnn McKibben Dana reminds us that hope is not mere optimism or toxic positivity. It is a muscle that can be exercised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHope is wrapped up in what we make real\u2026 Hope is what we do in the face of suffering, pain, and injustice. Hope is what we do in the face of depression\u2019s dull weight or grief\u2019s harsh sting,\u201d she writes in her book, \u201cHope: A User\u2019s Manual.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hope is an action, and it\u2019s how to regain equilibrium in times of disappointment. Noticing the beauty of creation; showing kindness to a stranger; feeding the hungry \u2014 these are all acts of hope. How will you refill your tank in the face of disappointment? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rev. Jo Nygard Owens, Washington National Cathedral<\/mark><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did you ever jump in a pile of leaves as a child? That fluffy mound of red, orange, and brown practically begs children everywhere to take a running leap and jump[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5256,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,9],"tags":[163,53],"class_list":["post-5253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ministry","category-your-ag","tag-book","tag-ministry-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5253"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5260,"href":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5253\/revisions\/5260"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}