A Prayer for Hope After Disappointment

Father, it did not work out, and the silence after the no is louder than I expected. I had let myself believe, had pictured how it would feel, and now I am holding the shape of a thing that never came. My shoulders ache with it.

I confess I am tempted to never hope again, to keep my expectations small so the fall is never this far. I would rather feel nothing than feel this.

But I do not want to live guarded and shrunken, so I bring the ache to You instead of burying it. You are near to the brokenhearted, close to those crushed in spirit, and that is exactly where I am.

Your word says weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning. I am still in the night. I am asking You to hold the promise of morning for me while I cannot.

I release the picture I built. I open my hands to whatever You have that I cannot see yet. Heal the place where the hope tore loose.

You are not finished with my story, and disappointment is not the same as the end. Mend me gently, and teach me to hope again. Amen.