Assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh
I see so much that disappoints me, but am I in a position to be disappointed in others? Subhaan Allah, I am a disappointment to myself every day! I realize that I am disappointed in being exposed to Allah's Qadr!
What I see, I'm meant to see. Who I am with, where I go, what I experience is all meant for me. So how can I be disappointed? After all, if what other people do isn't pleasing to Allah it isn't my standards they are not meeting, it's Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala's. They are in my life, in my view, part of an experience that I am meant to witness Qadr Allahu wa maa shaa fa'al.
What I need to do is benefit from it all. I need to make du'a that Allah doesn't test me with the same deficiencies and that He forgives others and removes those deficiencies from them. I need to have taqwa and turn away from the makrooh and haram. I need to exercise wisdom and manners in handling situations, whether in giving dawah or forbidding a wrong or teaching what is correct. I need to use the examples to motivate and push me to better behavior because they are warnings, they are vicarious lessons, they are blessed motivators.
I love the statement: If it doesn't move me closer to Allah, I don't want it. However, I had to follow that up with: It's up to me to make everything move me closer to Allah. It's up to me to say alhamdulillah and see the benefit and blessing in those things that will move me closer to Allah.
Subhaanak, Allahumma wa bihamdik, laa illaaha ilaa Ant, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk.