Inigo Montoya: Who are you?
Man in Black: No one of consequence.
Inigo Montoya: I must know…
Man in Black: Get used to disappointment.
Inigo Montoya: ‘kay.
When I was growing my family had two movies on VHS: Return of the Jedi and The Princess Bride, in which the above dialogue is found. My sister and I would alternate between watching the two movies so I have them both memorized.
The above exchange between Inigo Montoya and the Man in Black is one of my favorites. The Man in Black is shrouded in secrecy and matches Inigo skill for skill in their fencing duel. Inigo’s insistence to know the Man in Black’s identity is met with disappointment.
Much like yesterday’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event.
The Internet and tech geeks were abuzz as they thought Apple was going to surely reveal the iPhone 5, the successor to the greatest phone ever (in my opinion), the iPhone 4. Much to the chagrin of phone enthusiasts, though, Apple announced the iPhone 4S, only an upgrade.
I spent almost two hours watching a live blog of the event and, at the end, felt like I had wasted those two hours. I had planned on working out but I got sucked into the promise of an iPhone 5 and a new phone to covet and crave. I probably wasn’t as disappointed as others, but I still felt a twinge.
In the words of the Man in Black, though, we need to get used to disappointment.
Disappointment is a part of life; it’s something that we will experience on a regular basis. The stories of God’s followers in the Bible are full of disappointment.
Abraham didn’t trust in God’s plans and his son Ishmael led to conflict within his family.
David was anointed as Israel’s king but had to wait years before he assumed the throne.
John the Baptist had his head chopped off before he saw Jesus’ ministry come to fruition.
Joseph had visions of ruling over his family but had to take a detour through a cistern, a temptress and a prison cell in order to see them fulfilled. Joseph’s life was full of disappointments but, when he his dreams were fulfilled, he had gained the proper perspective.
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. – Genesis 50:20
God can use our disappointments to achieve his purposes. Sometimes it’s difficult to see and sometimes it’s even more difficult to persevere. In the end, though, what we think are missteps and wrong turns can be the very things God uses to glorify himself.
But I still think God would have been more glorified through an iPhone 5.
How do you deal with disappointment?
Thanks. My failures still hurt and im still full of regret and this is years later. And that one question still echos: “why?”
Unfortunately, sometimes, we have to live the rest of our lives with that question. What can help quiet it, though, is trusting in God’s goodness even when we still want to ask “Why?”