Hope Beyond Disappointment
Look at the object with your mind, so you will not be bound to it.
In other words, look at it with your heart, and you'll get emotionally attached.
So is that why some people choose to be cool and unaffected by things, and even people? Is that why some choose an intellectual disposition? Who is the more courageous one, then? One who is fully logical and void of feeling, or one who love with abandonment? Which approach requires more from an individual?
It is said that to truly love is to love when the loving is tough. If it were easy, how true would that love be? You wouldn't know.
Just like patience and longsuffering cannot be truly proven when circumstances run smoothly or when those around you are easy to live with. Love, patience, longsuffering, or whatever godly characters in person, can only be accurately assessed under difficult circumstances.
It's natural to love those who love us or those who are lovable; overcome evil with evil. Yet we are called to love our enemies and overcome evil with good. Such a life would never be boring.
Yesterday I was disappointed. This afternoon, one of the objects of my disappointment came to me, wanting to make an appeal after he got to know the verdict as a result of his misbehaviour. That person thought that I have a personal grudge against him. That's so "emotional blackmail" method. I guess he thought too lowly of me and too lightly of his wrongdoings. People who are self-centred usually think that way - that others are always the cause of their problem so it is difficult for them to be fully responsible for their own faults.
Well, I did relent eventually, but not without making sure (or at least feeling assured myself) that this person felt the pain of my initial sentence. Perhaps I'm taking the risk to believe that he was truly repentant, but I stand by my value of 2nd chances...though this would be the 4th. It wouldn't be realistic to think I've totally let my guards down. But I'm willing to hope until the disappointment hit me again.
As much I won't be surprised should this person break his promise again, I wouldn't be looking out for his fall. In fact, I hope that he would live up to his own word, for his own good. I can live with feeling like a fool to trust the wrong person cos I think it would be more difficult to live without the hope at all. I know Jesus' love for me comes with hope, so I believe this would be the right move.
God help me.
In other words, look at it with your heart, and you'll get emotionally attached.
So is that why some people choose to be cool and unaffected by things, and even people? Is that why some choose an intellectual disposition? Who is the more courageous one, then? One who is fully logical and void of feeling, or one who love with abandonment? Which approach requires more from an individual?
It is said that to truly love is to love when the loving is tough. If it were easy, how true would that love be? You wouldn't know.
Just like patience and longsuffering cannot be truly proven when circumstances run smoothly or when those around you are easy to live with. Love, patience, longsuffering, or whatever godly characters in person, can only be accurately assessed under difficult circumstances.
It's natural to love those who love us or those who are lovable; overcome evil with evil. Yet we are called to love our enemies and overcome evil with good. Such a life would never be boring.
Yesterday I was disappointed. This afternoon, one of the objects of my disappointment came to me, wanting to make an appeal after he got to know the verdict as a result of his misbehaviour. That person thought that I have a personal grudge against him. That's so "emotional blackmail" method. I guess he thought too lowly of me and too lightly of his wrongdoings. People who are self-centred usually think that way - that others are always the cause of their problem so it is difficult for them to be fully responsible for their own faults.
Well, I did relent eventually, but not without making sure (or at least feeling assured myself) that this person felt the pain of my initial sentence. Perhaps I'm taking the risk to believe that he was truly repentant, but I stand by my value of 2nd chances...though this would be the 4th. It wouldn't be realistic to think I've totally let my guards down. But I'm willing to hope until the disappointment hit me again.
As much I won't be surprised should this person break his promise again, I wouldn't be looking out for his fall. In fact, I hope that he would live up to his own word, for his own good. I can live with feeling like a fool to trust the wrong person cos I think it would be more difficult to live without the hope at all. I know Jesus' love for me comes with hope, so I believe this would be the right move.
God help me.
