The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. Psalm 145:13b
One of my favorite movies is Chocolat. Set in a quaint French town just after World War II, the film begins as Vianne arrives at the start of Lent and opens a chocolate shop. Because she is an unwed mom and tempts them with forbidden desserts during Lent, the town’s pretentious mayor shuns her and encourages the townspeople to do likewise. Despite how she is treated, Vianne perseveres in showing love to her neighbors and helps many of them resolve the struggles in their lives. Even in her own disappointment, she reaches out to help others in theirs. She overcomes prejudice and contempt with love and care. Even though she doesn’t attend the local church, she is far more Christ-like than the church-going townspeople.
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to visit the town of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, that quaint village where Chocolat was filmed. I was so excited to be going there and couldn’t wait to take lots of photos. Upon arriving, I wandered the narrow streets lined with medieval houses and buildings. Our guide pointed out where Vianne’s chocolate shop was filmed. It was never actually a chocolate shop. The ancient structure with its arched window seemed to me to lack the luster and allure I remembered from the movie. Opposite the shop stands the church where several scenes in the movie were filmed. I knew there had been a statue in front of the church in the movie and when I inquired about it, the guide said it was only there for the movie. Silently entering the church, I sensed the interior seemed much smaller than in the film. While I am so glad to have traveled to the picturesque town of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain where I did take lots of interesting photos and had a lovely visit, I am a bit disappointed the town didn’t resemble the village I had seen in the movie.
My life is not movie-set perfect either. Scenes are unscripted. Lines are ad-libbed. Improvisation rules. When feeling disappointed, I find I’m not a character in a movie where I can simply memorize my lines and act courageously. And life does disappoint sometimes, doesn’t it? We don’t have the career we dreamed of. We wake up and discover our spouse isn’t who we thought they were (and we’re not who they thought we were!). We don’t live up to our own expectations of ourselves. The people in our lives, whether friends, family, or co-workers, let us down without meaning to. Circumstances, too, morph into situations we never expect and would never want.
What happens when we feel disappointed? Do we internalize disappointment and allow it to impact our self-worth? Do we let it influence our decisions so that we play it safe or give up? How can we be real with our disappointment and find the courage to move forward?
Psalm 145:13 says that God is faithful. His promises are trustworthy. We can count on Him to do what He says. God will never disappoint us. When life doesn’t happen like we expect and people let us down, being honest with the Lord through prayer helps us find the courage to persevere. Reading the Bible keeps us focused on God’s character. Knowing God is in our corner even when it seems others are not, we can find joy and contentment. God is faithful through all of life’s disappointments. His love for us never fails. Thanks be to God!
Lord, I thank You that You never disappoint. Your love never fails. Help me be real with You when I feel disappointed. Give me the courage to move forward as I rely on You and Your never-failing faithfulness. Amen.
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Text and photograph copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo from Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, Burgundy, France.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
One of my favorite movies is Chocolat. Set in a quaint French town just after World War II, the film begins as Vianne arrives at the start of Lent and opens a chocolate shop. Because she is an unwed mom and tempts them with forbidden desserts during Lent, the town’s pretentious mayor shuns her and encourages the townspeople to do likewise. Despite how she is treated, Vianne perseveres in showing love to her neighbors and helps many of them resolve the struggles in their lives. Even in her own disappointment, she reaches out to help others in theirs. She overcomes prejudice and contempt with love and care. Even though she doesn’t attend the local church, she is far more Christ-like than the church-going townspeople.
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to visit the town of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, that quaint village where Chocolat was filmed. I was so excited to be going there and couldn’t wait to take lots of photos. Upon arriving, I wandered the narrow streets lined with medieval houses and buildings. Our guide pointed out where Vianne’s chocolate shop was filmed. It was never actually a chocolate shop. The ancient structure with its arched window seemed to me to lack the luster and allure I remembered from the movie. Opposite the shop stands the church where several scenes in the movie were filmed. I knew there had been a statue in front of the church in the movie and when I inquired about it, the guide said it was only there for the movie. Silently entering the church, I sensed the interior seemed much smaller than in the film. While I am so glad to have traveled to the picturesque town of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain where I did take lots of interesting photos and had a lovely visit, I am a bit disappointed the town didn’t resemble the village I had seen in the movie.
My life is not movie-set perfect either. Scenes are unscripted. Lines are ad-libbed. Improvisation rules. When feeling disappointed, I find I’m not a character in a movie where I can simply memorize my lines and act courageously. And life does disappoint sometimes, doesn’t it? We don’t have the career we dreamed of. We wake up and discover our spouse isn’t who we thought they were (and we’re not who they thought we were!). We don’t live up to our own expectations of ourselves. The people in our lives, whether friends, family, or co-workers, let us down without meaning to. Circumstances, too, morph into situations we never expect and would never want.
What happens when we feel disappointed? Do we internalize disappointment and allow it to impact our self-worth? Do we let it influence our decisions so that we play it safe or give up? How can we be real with our disappointment and find the courage to move forward?
Psalm 145:13 says that God is faithful. His promises are trustworthy. We can count on Him to do what He says. God will never disappoint us. When life doesn’t happen like we expect and people let us down, being honest with the Lord through prayer helps us find the courage to persevere. Reading the Bible keeps us focused on God’s character. Knowing God is in our corner even when it seems others are not, we can find joy and contentment. God is faithful through all of life’s disappointments. His love for us never fails. Thanks be to God!
Lord, I thank You that You never disappoint. Your love never fails. Help me be real with You when I feel disappointed. Give me the courage to move forward as I rely on You and Your never-failing faithfulness. Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photograph copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo from Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, Burgundy, France.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
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