Dear Gigi,
How do you overcome disappointment?  We had plans to go to Hawaii this summer, but Covid wiped them out.  Now my car needs major repairs and a good chunk of the money we’d set aside for our trip is about to be spent on my car.  I’m not sure we will ever get to Hawaii now.  I struggling to let this go.

In our younger years, our singular retirement dream was to buy a travel trailer and tour the country.  During my last year of work, we took the plunge and bought a 28’ pull-behind that was the dreamiest. It had everything we wanted and even several extra features like a central vac system and outdoor stereo speakers. Eight months after I finished work and joined Flyboy, our first Tennessee camping/glamping trip was to Shiloh National Historical Battlefield, which held great meaning for me as my great (x3) grandfather was buried there, having died in that very battle.  We later visited several other state parks, and thoroughly enjoyed every trip.

Then it happened.  

If you’ve ever watched Grand Designs on Netflix, you know this to be true: it is humanly impossibly to finish a build (rehab or from scratch) under budget. Our house was a mess: infested by carpenter bees, riddled with water damage, paint ball paint everywhere, broken windows, and more.  We worked hard and long, but before the projects were complete, our money ran out.  Just like that (or so it seemed), we had more work to do than money to finish it.

We looked at every option, and came to the realization there was but one right thing to do.  Sell the trailer.  While nowhere near being paid off, selling it did give us some equity to help our cause, and no longer having a payment provides us extra money each month to continue to invest in our projects.  It was hard, but it was the right thing to do.

Were we disappointed?  You bet!  This was the end of a lifelong dream, and as we are on a fixed income, it’s not likely we’ll ever save enough money to buy another one. We were heartbroken.

For about five minutes. 

Then, all of a sudden, we looked at each other and shook it off and thanked God for providing everything we need, including a full price buyer for the trailer.  We’re thankful for the 45 years we’ve had together and all the places we’ve seen.  We’re grateful for family, and friends, and ministry opportunities.  We are thankful, above all, for our salvation.

God may give you another opportunity to go to Hawaii, and you may have to work extra and save long and hard to make it happen.  Thank him for every day of life. Thank him for the ability to work. Thank him for it all.

Love,
Gigi

But whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God, the Creator of all light, and he shines forever without change or shadow. –James 1:19 (TLB)