Disappointment is part of life. That’s not a happy thought, but it’s true. It comes to all of us at different times in different shapes, sizes, and degrees. Fortunately, serious disappointment doesn’t happen every day. It’s an infrequent thing, but sometimes it can feel like it comes around on a regular basis. There are a lot of folks this week who are seriously disappointed with the losers and winners in the elections we just had. There are also folks who aren't happy with how the ballgames turned out or how the stock market is slipping, or how the weather is, or the time change not suiting them. That sort of disappointment is what we all learn to live with. We develop ways to naturally manage it, and we accept it. But sometimes a bunch of those "so-called" manageable disappointments can gang up on you, and that can make the days seem longer, and the nights seem shorter and not as restful. These minor disappointments can stay with you and ride along like a little satchel on your shoulder 'til you finally let 'em go. Usually, something good comes along after a little while and hops up into that satchel, which means some of those bad, disappointing things have got to jump out and quit bothering you. It's something you don't really think about, it just happens. Then you feel better afterwards, and most of the time, that little satchel of disappointments stays mostly less empty.
That's one of the good things about living in a small town. Things are slower and less complicated. Life is a little less hectic, and you take closer notice of all the good things that surround you. I think people in small towns have a lot less in the satchels they are carrying. And if you walk around in a small town with a long face, somebody’s going to be nosy enough to ask you what’s wrong. That helps too. So, it’s best to keep your satchel as empty as you can. If the load is lighter, the disappointments are fewer, and that’s the magic of the human spirit. That also creates a balance that makes life worth living even when the disappointments are the real serious kind. Those times are inevitable. They are going to come as we all know, and they can seem endlessly unbearable. Trying to cope with rough times like a life-threatening illness or the loss of a loved one or a treasured friend, can completely change how you think and feel about your own place in life. In times like those, the promise of balance may seem totally lost. But it’s still there, you just have to work a little harder to bring it back. The most severe kind of disappointment becomes grief. It can be a long journey through a clouded land of pain and doubt. But in time, you will find the light, and with a bit of love and caring and sharing, the balance will return. People in small towns can testify to that.
This past Sunday, many churches here celebrated All Saints Day. It is a day of remembrance and thanks for those precious lives lived among us in Christian service who have left our midst during the year. It is a celebration of the saints, named and unnamed, known and unknown and the victory over the trials and disappointments of this life. And it is our reminder of the carefully crafted plan that directs our way and provides the promise of balance throughout our journey. The creator of that plan knows about disappointment, but he wants you to keep traveling, ignore the small things that don’t always go your way and keep your satchel empty.
