One of the hardest parts of life is not merely pain itself, but the disappointment that accompanies the pain. It is one thing to go through a burden. It is another thing to go through a burden that came in a form you never expected. It is one thing to walk through a valley. It is another thing to stand in that valley and quietly say, “This is not how I thought things would turn out.”
Most of us know what that feels like. We had hopes. We had plans. We had expectations. We thought a prayer would be answered a certain way. We thought a situation would improve sooner. We thought a door would open, a burden would lift, or a relationship would be restored. But life often unfolds much differently than we hoped.
The Bible speaks very honestly to that kind of sorrow. Proverbs 13:12 says, “ Hope deferred maketh the heart sick.” That is a painfully accurate description of disappointment. A delayed hope, an unmet desire, or a prayer that seems unanswered can leave the heart weary and heavy.
