TEA TIME WITH TINA
DEALING WITH DISAPPOINTMENT
B Y T I N A G A L LO Tina Gallo has been in the entertainment industry for over 40 years, she is an award-winning professional actress who “fully immerses herself in the character to bring life into each of her roles.” She is a Stanislavki method-trained actress who studied with the best: Lee Strasberg, Uta Hagen, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, and Jack Waltzer. Tina has extensive TV, Film, Commercial, and Theater credits. She is best known for her past role as DiDi on the soap opera “General Hospital.” After years of taking a step away from the industry to raise her children, the Lord stirred her heart by calling her to return to the spotlight. Tina’s relaunched career includes a zealous appreciation for the Lord to move in power in the acting world and film industry, and is expectant for how He will move. Tina’s passion has become a God-given purpose; she desires to orchestrate Christsaturated media and beyond. In between the blessing of acting, Tina teaches acting classes in person and online and is the founder of ‘The Nashville Studio of Method Acting’ in Nashville, TN.
Have you ever been disappointed when God didn’t show up the way you expected? I know that I have. I’ve had dreams crushed, prayers unanswered, and have dealt with what I thought was God’s will unfulfilled - inducing an internal struggle within me to reconcile what I believed was God to the reality of what was happening in my life. It’s frustrating and hurts when you feel that God has let you down. When God doesn’t answer your prayer the way that you hoped for, it’s normal to be disappointed, and it’s okay to wish things had turned out differently. The dictionary defines disappointment as a feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations. Admitting that we feel disappointed in God can be hard and uncomfortable. Some might think this disappointment demonstrates a lack of faith or even that it’s “un-Christian.” It’s natural to feel disappointed, frustrated, hurt, and even angry when prayers seem unanswered. But allowing those feelings to fester can decay your faith if not processed properly. The frustration we experience from disappointment is part of learning the true nature of faith. Disappointment and setbacks build patience while creating godly character when embraced. They teach us how to win or lose with grace. Romans 5:35 NIV says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” When we have sincere faith in God, our inner spiritual strength helps us cultivate that attitude. When I’m faced with disappointment, I often reflect on the story in the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of John, when Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, sent word to Jesus 58
