Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

• Revelation 21:3-5

“You see, disappointment can be a gift from God that feels nothing like a gift at all. It’s unexpectedly sharp, and the Giver can seem almost cruel as we watch someone unwrap it. Their fingers will bleed. They will feel tricked and so very tempted to stop trusting that anything good can be found within. They will most certainly question the One who allowed it to come their way.
…
“But disappointment isn’t proof that God is withholding good things from us. Sometimes it’s His way of leading us Home. But to see this and properly understand what’s really going on, we must take a step back and view it in the context of God’s epic love story. The one in which He rescues and reconciles humanity to Himself.”

• Lysa TerKeurst, It’s Not Supposed to be this Way

Lysa TerKeurst describes this introductory chapter as the time between two gardens.  Adam and Eve were forced out of the Garden of Eden, and we travel this broken world until someday we will be in a new Garden, a land where God Himself will dwell among us.

And if we are not tested by fire, how can we be sure of our destiny?  How can we know we are His?  The tests of faith are numerous, and disappointment leads the way.

And I know what disappointment can bring.

Nothing really bad went wrong in our lives until I got out of the military.  I then was slapped with major disappointment.  I took what I thought was best for my career, but I had been sold a pack of lies.  There was no future there, and without a track record of success, employment people laughed at my military successes and successes in industry prior to that.  The world was “What have you done this morning?”  If you had a success yesterday, sorry, it did not count.  And ever since the mid-80s, I struggled.  I succeeded, but with bosses who took the credit for my success and kept me in the shadows, a tool for them to have future successes.

There is a lot there to say, “God, why?” Or I could be angry with God, but I knew early on it was my impulse to make the decision I made.  I was fighting deadlines.  I almost said the words, and might have thought them, “God, I cannot wait for your answer.  I have to decide now.”

Yes, I had every reason to blame myself rather than blaming God.  And the hard thing to do was to face God and ask for forgiveness and then ask God to get me out of the mess that my decision had caused.

But God gave me a good boss here and there.  While I never achieved financial success, I stayed employed at times when most around me were losing their jobs.

So, there you have it.  One disappointment after another.  But so many times that I could see God at work.  I kept asking, what does God want of me, and I found the answer.  I trust Him.  I rely on Him.  He is my everything.  And it only took a lifetime to reach that point completely, and maybe I am not even fully there.  I am just enjoying the wild ride.

Lord, guide me. I have had many disappointments, but each time it has drawn me closer to You.  Keep on giving me mile markers along the highway of life and signposts that say things like “DO NOT ENTER” or “DEAD END.”  As C. S. Lewis wrote, when everyone is going the wrong way, the first to turn around is the most progressive.  Help me be progressive today.  In Your name I pray.  Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.