Jerri Phillips

I'm always reserved in writing about friends or situations where I am disappointed or let down. I get a bit nervous mentioning folks who hurt my feelings because they weren't "there for me". I find reactions fall into two main categories: those who want to commiserate about their own disappointments with friends and those who want to fix it all. Frankly, I can be either of those on any given day, and I understand both reactions.

However, once I get over my self-pity and self-righteous anger, my sense comes back to me, and I realize important people letting me down is a gift. The reality is I need friends to let me down sometimes. I need my husband to not always understand. I need to find myself in a place where "no one gets it".

Psalm 62:1-2 says,
"My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my rock, and my salvation;
He is my fortress,
I will never be shaken."

My soul finds rest in God alone.

Now, before the thought, "Well, duh," wanders through your mind, stop and think. If my friends really were always there for me, or if my husband always understood and had the answer, or if chocolate always made me feel better, why would I go to God? If answers and feeling better was only a phone call away, what would drive me to my quiet place and keep me there waiting for the Lord's voice?

Contrary to what the enemy wants us to believe, most folks don't fail us because their hearts are bad. They fail us because God is so very good. He takes away what could easily become our idols, and He forces us to seek Him.

Sadly, instead of seeing the One who wants to meet our needs, we get fixated on who can't meet our needs. I know my friends. They would do anything in their power to help me, and therein lies the wondrous and exciting revelation of God's character. The people who love me simply cannot be my everything because God wants that job for Himself, and when I get over being disappointed in the basic character of people and get focused on the simple character of God, instead of being angry, I am overwhelmed with the passion of God's love for me.

My soul finds rest in God alone.--He sets it up so I have to look at Him because He is the only one who can meet my needs, and instead of being mad at those who cannot be Him, I rejoice in all He is and gives me.

My salvation comes from Him.--He saves me from confusion, chaotic situations, defeating emotions, lies, and anything else that could defeat me or draw my heart from Him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation.--He is the only one what is forever stable, where I can go and be calm knowing He can handle anything and His heart is always for my good.

He is my fortress, and I will never be shaken.--He protects my heart from all other idols my humanness wants to trust in. He keeps me to Himself and makes it so I have to turn my eyes on Him. He loves me too much to leave me to my own devices, and I can put my full trust in Him because He is fully capable to take care of my every need and protect me from anything that could take me from Him, even myself.

Yeah, the people I love let me down sometimes...and I thank God they do because they just remind me that He never does.