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Disappointment Doesn’t Have to be the End

Gary Keesee • Sep 10, 2019

When was the last time you were disappointed about something?

Was it about something minor, like a purchase you made that didn’t work out like you had hoped or a meal you ordered that didn’t taste as delicious as you had expected?

Or were you disappointed about something more major, like a relationship with a friend or family member, a doctor’s report, or something that happened at work or in your business?

Here’s the thing, friend: we’ve all been there. We all know what disappointment feels like.

No one gets through life without facing disappointment on some level.

It’s How You Handle It That Makes All the Difference

Disappointment is defined as the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations.

We all face disappointments, but it’s how you handle disappointments that will determine if you’ll be stuck or if you’ll live the great life God has planned for you.

How Will YOU Handle It?

You’ve probably heard of Milton Hershey , or at least the company he founded—Hershey Company. But did you know that, before that, Milton Hershey was fired from an apprenticeship ?

Did you know that he started THREE separate candy-related ventures before the Hershey Company, and they all failed ?

How about Soichiro Honda , the founder of Honda Corporation? Did you know that five of his eight siblings died in childhood, or that he dropped out of school at age 15 to become a mechanic, but ended up just being a babysitter?

Did you know his factory was destroyed THREE times —twice by bombs and once by an earthquake ?

I’m sure you’ve heard of J.K. Rowling , the author of the Harry Potter books. But did you know that she was jobless, divorced, and broke before she wrote the Harry Potter series? Did you know twelve publishing houses rejected her first book?

Twelve!

I’m positive you’ve heard of Walt Disney . He’s a person I like to reference often. Why? Because he faced years of criticism, failure, and disappointments.

If you don’t know, he was fired from a newspaper for “not being creative enough”— Walt Disney ! He was rejected more than 300 times by bankers who thought his ideas were ridiculous.

Time and time again Walt faced disappointment.

All four of these people have incredible stories.

But why did I want you to know about them specifically?

Because, just like you and me, they faced disappointments. Some of those disappointments even had dream-crushing, life-ruining potential.

But disappointment wasn’t the end for any of them.

In fact, Walt Disney said,

“All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me … You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”

No matter what you’ve faced, or are facing, disappointment doesn’t have to be the end for you either.

God knows where you are and where you’re headed.

We Were Broke

When we first moved to Ohio, we were broke. We were just starting to truly learn about the Kingdom of God.

You may know our story, but Drenda and I lived hand-to-mouth for years. We lived in poverty.

For nine very long years, we were in financial chaos. Not only did we owe on our falling-apart farmhouse that had weeds growing through its windows and on two rusted-out, bent up, high mileage cars, we also had ten maxed out credit cards, three finance company loans at interest rates of 28%, more than $13,000 owed in back taxes, more than $26,000 owed to relatives, and judgments and liens filed against us.

We had a friend of the family call us for investment help ( yes, ironically I was broke and working in the financial services industry ). He had inherited more than $500,000 and wanted assistance on where and how to invest it. I was happy to help, and thrilled because Drenda and I desperately needed the commission from the case to make ends meet.

So I spent hours with the client, hours researching and preparing plan options for him, and hours laying out the strategy that would best help him.

Hours upon hours.

Do you see where this is going?

I presented the options to him, and told him I could help him get everything set up if he wanted to move forward. He called me a week later and told me he took my strategy to his local bank and they followed it exactly, investing his money precisely as I had instructed.

In other words, I didn’t receive a penny because his bank received the commission check on my work.

I was devastated.

But it’s how we handle disappointments that will determine if we’ll be stuck or if we’ll live the great lives God has planned for us.

Disappointments can slow you down. They’ll try to tell you, You’ll never have another opportunity like that.

Disappointments can lead to discouragement, depression, and hopelessness.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Disappointments will come, friend, but there’s always a tomorrow.

Years ago, I knew a family who hit a deer and totaled one of their two cars. Then, two weeks later, the engine blew in their second car. That’s not a good place to be, right?

But this family didn’t get stuck on disappointment. Instead, they decided they were going to believe God and not use debt to replace those vehicles.

The day before their rental car had to be turned in, they got a phone call from a friend who didn’t know what had happened. That friend wanted to know if they knew of anyone who needed a car. When they explained what had happened to them, the friend gave them the car.

That encouraged them, so they decided to believe God for a van that would fit their entire family. They really wanted a Honda Odyssey, so they came into agreement as a family and released their faith for it.

A few weeks after that, we stopped by their house, and on their refrigerator was a big picture of a Honda Odyssey. Each time they opened the refrigerator, they would lay their hands on that picture and thank God for that van.

About a week later, my secretary called me and said, “We had an unusual call this morning. Someone called and said they want to give the church a van.” Of course, she didn’t know what this family was believing God for, so I asked her, “What kind of van is it?”

And, you can guess the rest of the story. That van was actually in really good condition.

When Drenda called the woman to share the news, she first asked her how they were doing with the car situation. The woman said, “We’re one day closer.”

That family knew that how they handled the disappointments they were facing would determine if they’d be stuck or if they’d live the great life God had planned for them. And they decided to believe God.

Now, I don’t believe that Honda Odyssey showing up was a coincidence. I know better. I’ve experienced the promises of God over and over again, and I’ve heard too many stories of the Kingdom operating in other people’s lives.

It’s critical that you learn how the Kingdom of God operates in order to move forward when you face disappointment.

There is SO MUCH MORE I want to share with you about this to help you and bless your life, SO MUCH MORE about facing disappointments and about how to move forward and live the great life God has planned for you.

As a friend of Faith Life Now, Drenda and I want to help you.

That’s why we’ve put together a BRAND-NEW, POWERFUL mentorship package for you this month. It’s designed to help you MOVE PAST disappointments and FORWARD into the incredible future God has planned for you.

 

 

 

 

The Power of Choice: How to Choose Happiness in Every Situation

By Gary Keesee • 08 May, 2024
Reading Time 3 mins 43 secs – Are you happy right now? Or are you feeling a little grumpy, or negative, or sorry for yourself? We’ve all been there. Years ago, I had one of those months. Yes, I said months , not days. I was negative. I was feeling sorry for myself. The weight and pressures of life and certain situations were bearing down on me. For some reason, during that time, I went to a conference I really didn’t feel like going to, and the speaker got up and said he was going to talk about being thankful. Great , I thought. Just what I want to hear. What I really wanted was for someone to join me in my pity party. But that wasn’t happening. Because God knew that wasn’t what I needed. He knew I needed someone to tell me the truth. See, I had taken my eyes off of all of the blessings of God. I had stopped remembering all of the amazing times He had come through for me. I had taken my focus off of His promises and put it on my problems. That message was just what I needed. The Holy Spirit dealt with me right then about my heart and how I had been ungrateful. I had to repent. God set me free that day. Here’s the thing: studies show that when you’re happy and thankful , you have 17% more friends. When you’re happy, you live longer and you have less health problems like heart attacks, strokes, colds, the flu, and even pain. Being grateful also strengthens your emotions, makes you more optimistic and less self-centered, improves your sleep, increases your self-esteem and your energy, helps you bounce back after a setback, reduces feelings of envy, helps your marriage, makes you look better, and makes you more productive. Proverbs 17:22 (KJV) says, “ A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones .” See that? Happiness is like medicine. Discouragement sucks the life out of you. Are you reading this and thinking, “ Gary, you don’t know what I’m going through. I have serious problems” ? I understand. But here’s the thing: happiness is not circumstantial. Happiness is a choice you make. I hear it all the time… “Gary, you don’t understand. I hate my house.” Sell it. “Gary, you don’t get it. I hate my job.” Quit it. Find a new one. “Gary, I just hate my life.” CHANGE it. You’re not stuck. You have options. Every single day, you make choices to do something or NOT do something. And you have plenty of reasons to be happy. Stop thinking you can only be happy when everything seems “perfect.” Because “perfect” is really rare, and I do mean really rare. In fact, odds are there will always be something in your life that isn’t “perfect.” The good news is, no matter what you go through or deal with in life, you can still be thankful and happy, because you can always trust God despite your circumstances. Philippians 4:6 (NIV) says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God .” Wait. Did you see what that said? Notice it didn’t say, “Only be anxious about the big things you can’t handle on your own.” Nope. It says don’t be anxious about anything . It also says by prayer—and with thanksgiving —present your requests to God. That means you should be thanking Him for all He’s already done and for what He’s about to do in your situation. You should be thanking Him before your answer shows up, because He’s faithful and good. Look at Judges 20:19–25. There, we see the nation of Israel suffering great loss after a huge battle. They had lost 22,000 men. 22,000. Can you even imagine? I’m sure you’ll agree that that was a really bad day. Then, on the second day of battle, they lost 18,000 more men. 40,000 men lost in two days. The Bible tells us they took a day off at that point. They stopped and regrouped. Then, in verse 26, we see that the entire army presented offerings of thanksgiving to God. Things had gone really wrong, and they needed to remind themselves that God was for them, that He is good and faithful, that He was with them. And the next day, they went out and won the battle. So, what about you, friend? Do you need to stop? Do you need to take your mind off the negative and remind yourself that God is for you, that He is good and faithful, and that He is with you?

5 Steps to Release the Kingdom in Your Life

By Gary Keesee • 10 Apr, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 13 secs – In John 6, we read the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Do you know it? It’s where we see Jesus teaching the disciples how to release the Kingdom of God into the earth realm. Basically, a large crowd was following Jesus, listening to Him teach, and watching Him perform miracles. It got to a point where the people needed to eat, and Jesus asked the disciples what they planned to feed the people. Of course, Jesus knew the disciples would freak out. They couldn’t feed 5,000 people. In fact, they started talking about how it would take more than half a year’s wages to buy just a bite for that many people. Jesus was teaching the disciples, and He was teaching us— the Kingdom of God has all the answers you need . How can you release the Kingdom of God into your life? Here are the five steps Jesus took. 1. Look at what you have. Jesus asked the disciples what they had to feed the people. What do you have in your life that you can give God to work with? Jesus multiplied bread into bread and fish into fish. What do you need multiplied in your life? Find some of it. That’s your seed. Also, remember that money can be named. You don’t sow money to believe for more paper or digital money. Money represents your life and can be named to be the thing you need multiplied. 2. Make sure you’re in faith. “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1, GNT). You have to know how to judge whether or not you’re in faith. How? Do you have the right picture? When you close your eyes, what do you see? Do you see yourself with the thing you’re believing for? Can you defend your position? Why do you believe it? Prove it! Because you can be sure that between the “Amen” and the “There it is!” the enemy is going to contend for it, so you better be able to defend it. Do you have joy, expectancy, and peace? Are you in agreement with your spouse? 3. Confess over what you have, and release it in faith. Be specific. Say exactly what you’re believing for and release the seed to God. 4. Get the plan from God. Be ready for new direction, new ideas, and new concepts by revelation from the Holy Spirit. Carry a notepad and a pen. Write everything down. 5. Act quickly! When God gives you the plan, MOVE! It’s wise to have counselors and get wisdom, but you need to act swiftly on any direction you receive from the Holy Spirit.

Want Growth and Success? Here Are 10 Steps to Help Take You There

By Gary Keesee • 13 Mar, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 34 secs – How can you make sure you’re equipped for the growth coming your way this year? Here are my 10 steps to posture yourself for opportunity and success. 1. Ask yourself how you’re handling your current responsibilities. Don’t run from your responsibilities. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, you should be a success. People will still see the evidence of God even if you think you’re in the wrong spot. 2. Detox your life of the things that keep you from having time to think. We live in a fast-paced world. There are plenty of things that can keep you distracted. But it’s in the moments that you stop to think that you’ll find ways to solve problems, and that’s where the opportunities are. So figure out what is consuming your time. Start saying no to some things. Find time to think. 3. Don’t hang around people who are always losing. I know people hit rough spots, but if the people in your life are chronically losing, it’s time to expand your circle. Hang around people who are better than you are, who don’t see things as impossible, and who have vision. It may be uncomfortable for you, but their influence will cause you to think differently. 4. Write down EVERY idea that you have, no matter how strange it seems. Most people filter opportunities and ideas through what they perceive their ability to be. This means most people discard ideas by the dozens because they don’t think they can do them. But God isn’t limited to what you know how to do. The ideas He gives you might seem so weird to you that you can’t process them fully. Write them down so you have time to think about them. 5. Research. Research. Repeat. You don’t need to know how to do something; you need to know how to learn how to do it. Research until you find what you’re looking for. 6. Count the cost before you jump. A lot of Christians hear God and jump out too soon, resulting in catastrophe. There are seasons for everything. God will prepare you for where He wants you to go. Be patient. 7. Always be in agreement with your spouse. Never, ever march out into battle without your spouse being in total agreement and your faith aligned. 8. Ask God for direction. Ask Him to help you, to show you where to go, and what to do. And always remember that prophecy from other people shouldn’t lead you; it should only confirm what God has already said to you. 9. Commit to never quit. Quitting is not an option. Once you’ve moved, don’t move again until God speaks to you. Stay with it. Walk it out. Don’t quit. So many people have so much potential, but they get uncomfortable and they quit. If you want to win, you should always be stretching. 10. Get ready to embrace bigger things. Your ability to see the big picture will keep growing as you change and grow on the inside. You’ll pick up on even more opportunities. For more principles, check out this FREE video on success.
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