Dear Devotional Readers:
I tried very hard to write a devotional yesterday, but couldn’t send it out. Something just wasn’t right with it. I now know that it wasn’t that devotional that God had planned for you this week. It didn’t happen until today, so here it is fresh off the press.
Blessings, SandyC
DISAPPOINTMENT
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
It is not for man to understand the reasoning of God. It is enough to know that His reasoning is far above our own…Seedsower7
Disappoint: to fail or satisfy the expectations of someone. Webster’s Dictionary
Yesterday seemed like just an ordinary day until the call came. We weren’t expecting it and to be quite honest could not believe that it had come. The call was from the transplant coordinator where Bruce is listed on their kidney transplant list. She stated that they had a potential kidney for Bruce. This means that they needed to run some more tests on it and possibly on Bruce, too. He was instructed to hold his blood thinner medications last night and not to eat after midnight. He was to come to the hospital and be at the lab to have blood drawn at 7:00 a.m. when the lab opened. If all checked out with him and the donor kidney, then he would be admitted for any tests the transplant doctors might deem necessary. If all that went well, he could have a new kidney by the end of the day.
We were both excited, but almost numb. We weren’t expecting the call, even though we had been praying for a kidney transplant. The reason is that he has been on the inactive list for a few months due to health issues from a dialysis catheter infection to a gastrointestinal bleed, which resulted in four blood transfusions. The doctors went in and fixed a few things and so far the bleeding has not returned. They are keeping his Coumadin level down so the intestines can heal. Bruce has been feeling good for the past two weeks and had regained his energy. We found out that his transplant coordinator had taken another position and had not put him on the inactive list. That is why the call came.
By the time we got to the hospital and had the labs drawn the numbness had turned into excitement. Bruce was as excited as a cat on a hot tin roof! His adrenaline was flowing as he repeated the news to various friends over the telephone. The more he talked, the more hyped up he became. I have to admit that I was a bit animated as I praised God to those I contacted. In my zeal, I even named the donor kidney. I didn’t like referring to the kidney as an “it” since it would be giving Bruce life. The kidney was alive, even though the soul of the donor had departed. I knew that it came from a female donor, so I named her Mary because Mary brought the Savior into the world. As I prayed for Mary, she became more than an organ. She became very real to me. I found myself thanking God for her life and praying for her family.
They called for Bruce to go up to the Transplant Clinic. When we arrived, the transplant doctor that Bruce had spoken with yesterday came in to talk with us. It seems that Mary didn’t meet the transplant criteria. She could not be transplanted into Bruce’s or anyone else’s body. There would be no transplant today.
When something like this happens, sadness floods your soul. You want to ask why, but you know it won’t change the outcome. You feel the disappointment starting to settle into your heart. This is a normal response to pain. All throughout the Bible we see the expectations of God’s people dashed in the realities of life. Joseph wanted to go home. He experienced many disappointments at the hands of others decisions. How disappointed he must have felt when the Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer had seemed to have forgotten all about him after he had interpreted his dream. Think about how betrayed and disappointed David was when Saul turned on him, even though he knew God was calling him to be King. All throughout the Bible, disappointment can be seen as what we are hoping for or expecting God to do doesn’t happen. So, what will you do when disappointment comes?
First, remember that hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12). If you let the discouragement steal your hope then your heart will get sick. This leads to a loss of faith in God to do what He said He will do. God didn’t tell us how He was going to deliver Bruce from kidney disease, but He did say that He would heal him. He didn’t promise him a transplant today, but He hasn’t said no to tomorrow. Faith is not believing in what you think is going to happen. It is accepting that regardless of what you see, God is working things out for your good. If you will remember the promises of God in times like this, you won’t lose heart. You will be able to rejoice in the Lord always and regardless of what the day brings. You will declare that God has His hand on you and that is all you need. Disappointment has to flee, for it is just a spirit sent to cause you to stumble in your faith walk.
I have found that God never leaves you without hope. Remember, I told you that the coordinator had taken another job. Well, this put all the load of the coordinator position on one lady. She has been trying to keep her head above water so to speak and has not been able to attend to some of the less acute problems that arise. We have a potential live donor who went to have her blood tested to see if she is a match over a month ago. In spite of her frequent calls to find out if she is a match for Bruce, she has not heard anything. We were able to bring this to the transplant surgeon’s attention and she said she would check on it and find out what the holdup was. It may simply be that no one has had time to take care of it. Since Bruce is at the top of his blood type donor list, they know that they must get everything in order as soon as possible, which includes finding out if the donor is a match and if she is; getting her tested right away.
Next, Bruce is already scheduled next week for his annual re-evaluation for being on the list. All the tests are already scheduled. I have hope that it will all come together in God’s perfect timing. He may have used little “Mary” to get the ball rolling. Anyway Bruce is on their radar and that gives me hope. So, Dear Ones, give thanks to God in all things. Lift up praise, for He is always worthy to be praised. Don’t lose heart – look for the silver lining in the cloud. But, most of all remember who you are in Christ and that is really all you need to face anything this life may bring to you. We are still standing in faith and waiting expectantly to see what God is going to do next!