Disappointment and Anxiety

I think that when we are tempted to be anxious a lot of times it is because of disappointment in our lives.  This morning I went to the dentist hoping to simply file down a tooth I thought was too sharp.  Instead I find out that I have an abscess that requires a root canal.  In that moment, in the disappointment of not having a quick fix I found myself anxious.  Anxious about the pain, but more anxious about the cost. 

As I sat back and observed myself begin to wander down the path of anxiety, I noticed that what was dragging me down the path of uncertainty was not rationality or reason, but disappointment.  Nothing had fundamentally changed.  God was still in charge.  God still sent His Son to die for me.  God has provided the finances so that the extra cost will not put me in a terrible position, and even if I could not afford it, I have no reason to believe that God would not provide for me as He has many times in the past.  In fact, the only thing that was not what I thought it was is my expectations.  I had expected one thing and now it was another.  I can change my expectations.  And in doing so, I can avoid the path of anxiety. 

I wonder how many times this exchange has occurred in my life.  I wonder how many of my anxieties have been based solely on disappointment.  I wonder how much time I could have spent in joy and peace rather than worry if I could only recognize the truth behind the anxiety I was feeling.  Perhaps in order to avoid this in the future I need to think less about what I am expecting and spend more time focusing on the promises of my God. 

"Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care of itself."  Matthew 6:34