The problem with caring for people is that you will continually be let down. And I don't mean that they do something to you that hinders your life in any way or do something directly to you. I mean it in the sense that we perpetually want more for someone than what they actually seem to want or do for themselves. This can be done by never reaching full potential, or ever even getting close to it, by them never realizing what they could do or who they could be if they wanted to, or continually making bad decisions. This goes for everybody. While someone is doing something in our life that disappoints us, we are no doubt doing something in our own lives that disappoints someone else, or maybe even disappoints the person we are frustrated with. If we were to trace these disappointments i think we would find something that resembles a very intricate spider web, much more intricate than any of Charlotte's.

This reminds me of my Never Ending Story post from back in the spring, but with various subtle/large differences. Like having the perfect information of the character in a story, we can have a lot of information about those in our lives. Although we don't have perfect information, we can usually know enough to know where there is unfound potential, potential that is lost, or just really dumb decisions that are repeated habitually (disclaimer: yes, we can be wrong, but even if we are, at least we care enough to be wrong). That's the frustration, not being able to make the right choices for them. Maybe you've been down the path they are starting and know where it ends, or what possibilities for getting lost are along the way. Maybe you seem to remember the times they have been hurt along that same path even though they seem not to remember or care. Maybe you just know there is a better path for them to take, if only they would cut through the brush they've lost themselves in to get to it. You can give them advice, tell them how the story will most likely end, or tell them how the story could possibly end if they would just change their minds. But in the end, you can't decide for them.

So now what? What can you do? Surely there is more to do than just pray and wait it out? I'm not sure there is. All you can do is be there. You don't have to support it, encourage it, or even belittle it. You can say your peace, but after that, just be there. Be ready to congradulate, consol, or listen.

I imagine this is how God feels. He knows what's best (disclaimer: No, he cannot be wrong). This disappointment we feel comes from our love for that person. But that love, no matter how strong, pales in comparison to his. He hurts for us that much more when we fail to reach our potential, recieve our blessings, or make bad choices.