There are three common ways people relate to sadness:

Sadness — Use #1 (Healthy Response)

Disappointment happens. You feel it. You try to resist it. Then you grieve it with God. You work through the sadness—and come out the other side. A little closer to God, you continue forward.

Sadness — Use #2 (Avoidance)

No one taught you that sadness is often a place of great spiritual growth. Instead you label it as weakness ….or scary. You avoid it at all costs. You stay busy, distracted, guarded doing anything to keep from going there.

Sadness — Use #3 (The Loop)

You get stuck in a cycle: 

loss → disappointment → hurt → anger → sadness.

Around and around you go.

Stay there long enough, and it turns into despair. Eventually, you link sadness with depression. In the loop you think “sadness makes me depressed”.

The Healthy-Sad Path:

You get let down. Pray for wisdom.

Feel- the disappointment

Enter-the sadness. Cry out.

Grieve it. Ask for more wisdom

Release the struggle move to acceptance 

Remember, Abba knows best.

Adjust- make some changes

Reengage- life with eternal hope.

Prayer:

Father, teach me not to fear sadness, but to walk through it holding your hand.  Amen.

Scripture:

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5. NKJV