DEALING WITH DISAPPOINTMENT

We all have been disappointed by someone.  But what is our responsibility in terms of our reaction?
Somebody has said that the distance between expectations and reality is disappointment.  So the first question we need to answer is this:  Were our expectations realistic?  It is critically important to make sure the expectations are filtered through various criteria. What is their age, level of maturity, background, or hard wiring, etc. ?

Secondly we need to make sure those expectations are verbalized.  Oftentimes our expectations are unspoken.  When they may be obvious to us, they may be oblivious to others.

Once you have determined that they are realistic and have been verbalized, how then should we respond when the disappointments come?

I would suggest that we respond with truth and love.  Scripture tells us to speak truth to our neighbor. We are told to speak the truth in love.  At some point we need to tell the person that we are disappointed and how we feel.  If we don't, we may build up a root of bitterness and distrust.

When it comes to the love factor.  Scripture tells us that love bears all things, hopes all things, believes all things.  Our love for the person must remain hopeful.  This means we need to forgive and keep trusting that God will impress upon the person to make some needed changes.

Finally we may need to let go of our expectations, recognizing that the person may never respond.
This can lead to setting some boundaries between ourselves and the person who disappointed us.