“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15 (NIV)

When our girls were younger, a day visiting a local amusement park was the perfect mini-getaway.

I remember one visit when Sophia and I boarded our “pirate ship” teeming with excitement — mostly because I didn’t do scary adult rides and she was still young enough to think this ride was awesome. As the ride took off, we immediately flew into the dark London sky. The music filled the darkness: “You can fly. You can fly. You can fly.” The stars twinkled as we flew past Big Ben. Windows in the buildings below glowed as the wind rushed by our faces. Then suddenly, there it was: Neverland.

As we readied ourselves to see the interior of the island, watch the Lost Boys battle Captain Hook and delight in fairies and the infamous crocodile, surprisingly, our fantasy came to an abrupt halt.

The music waned to a garbled muffle.

The darkness was disrupted by a flashing amber glow.

Our pirate ship jerked to a stop.

As our senses adjusted to the changes, and our eyes to the emergency lighting, our ship began to rock slowly forward. Then, as we took in our surroundings, we could see everything — everything we’re not supposed to see. What had appeared so real only moments before, suddenly wasn’t.

The stars were gone.

The moon didn’t glow.

Neverland was an illusion.

And I was actually disappointed.

But not Sophia. She was pointing out all the characters. She didn’t care that the ride wasn’t all that was promised. Perceiving my shock, she sought to comfort me: “It’s okay, Mummy, these things happen. Can we go on the Alice in Wonderland ride now?”

As I numbly got off the ride and we made our way to the next one, my expectations of hopeful adventure began to wane. Over the coming months, I didn’t enjoy visits to the park in quite the same way. I spent more time on my phone, lost in my own world, while Sophia and Catherine rode rides together. Because of one negative experience, I spent less time engaging in the moment — which meant missing out on life with my girls. As silly as it sounds, I was disillusioned.

Yes, it was shallow, and maybe you’re rolling your eyes at me right now, but the struggle was real for me.

And the life lesson so powerful.

Sophia managed her disappointment well.

I did not.

She was resilient.

I was stuck in a moment.

We had the exact same experience but two totally different responses.

We had the exact same experience but ended up in two different places emotionally.

No wonder Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (Mark 10:15). If we’re to fulfill our purpose and keep on loving the adventure, then we must accept that some things will break down along the way.

The ride may jerk to a surprising stop.

Dim emergency lighting may be all we have to light our way through a dark season of life.

Or, the harsh lights of reality may come on, and we’ll realize life is not what we thought it would be … the career path we followed dead-ends, the event we planned flops, the opportunity we risked everything to pursue evaporates.

When life doesn’t go our way — which it rarely does — we don’t always know how to recover our wonder in trusting God. That’s when our faith is critical, because all the disappointment in the world will never change the promises of God, the reality of Jesus or His destiny for our lives.

None of our broken dreams, personal heartaches or shattered plans will stop His desire for us to fulfill our purpose. Making God’s promises bigger — getting into His Word and letting it get into us — is what revives our hearts. Worshipping Him opens the door for God to heal us. Learning how to change our perspective through steps like these helps us transition from disappointment to trusting like a little child. It’s how we recover our wonder.

Heavenly Father, I trust You and Your promises. I believe Your Word over the disappointments in my life. Help me recover my wonder, pursue my purpose and fulfill my destiny. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Philippians 2:13, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (NIV)

RELATED RESOURCES:

Looking for practical resources to recover your wonder and strengthen your trust? Pick up Christine Caine’s new book, Unexpected: Leave Fear Behind, Move Forward in Faith, Embrace the Adventure.

CONNECT:

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How do you relate to disappointment or being disillusioned? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment. You’ll be entered to WIN a copy of Unexpected by Christine Caine. To celebrate this new book, Zondervan will give away 5 copies! {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and email notifications to each one by Tuesday, May 29.}

REFLECT AND RESPOND:

What experience has shaken you to your core and stolen your confidence? Invite God into that disappointment so He can give you a new perspective.

© 2018 by Christine Caine. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, for their sponsorship of today’s devotion.

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