Life is hard enough as it is, so when a modern convenience you count on stops working it feels like the sky is falling. A first world problem I know, but the day the electric outlet box for our dryer was repaired I felt free again. It’s so wild how such a small thing can change the way you live. When you are walking through a period of time when finances are tight, and you make the choice to go without for a while, there is no room for shame. At least there shouldn’t be.
No more last-minute loads of laundry to run through the dryer, just in time for an event or a trip. Everything had to be washed in advance, so the clothes had at least 8 to 24 hours to hang dry. If we needed them faster, we piled wet clothes in a basket and headed to my mom’s house, a few miles away, to use her dryer.
Nine months prior to this, my husband was laid off from his job. No one expects fate when it arrives. It just marches right in the middle of our realities and changes what we know. In the first few days after the news came, it was devastating and yet in a weird sort of way it felt freeing – like a blessing in disguise. If you’re a believer you know that God is not surprised by the sudden turn of events we experience. So we chose to believe that God was up to something new in our lives.
God had sustained us in the past, and we believed He would do it again. My husband instantly became self-employed as he was also applying for jobs. What a journey we found ourselves on.
So when our house almost caught on fire nine months later, from the electrical box melting our dryer cord, we waited and chose to go without a dryer for a while. Hanging clothes on eight-foot ladders, step ladders, clothes racks, decorative room divider screens, and anything else that worked became our new, temporary normal. If you find yourself in an unexpected predicament, there is no shame in that friend.
Often when problems come, we tend to shrink back and not say too much around others. We don’t want to feel shame, or hear the unfair judgements, or advice of others when they are not walking in our shoes.
Stepping out in a new direction and launching your own business is not easy, in fact it is risky, and takes a lot of faith to keep moving forward. There are times God asks us to step out on the water with him and to trust that if we fall he will be there to catch us, keep us from drowning, and even help us back into the boat if needed.
How will you or I ever know, if we aren’t willing to take a chance and step into the unknown? Sometimes we’re given a choice and other times we’re forced out where we never planned to go. Either way, faith is a choice. Be willing to look past people’s opinions, to the one opinion that matters most.
What is God asking of you?
The day finally came when we were able to get the dryer electrical box fixed and a new electric cord for our dryer. Thank you Jesus! I had all the happy feels of freedom! Now I would be able to conveniently wash and dry clothes. No more hanging clothes and towels out to dry, piece by piece. It was a “happy dance” kind of day for sure.
No more eight-foot ladders, step ladders, clothes racks, decorative room divider screens, and door handles holding wet shirts, pants, underwear, and jeans, which by the way take forever to hang dry. Oh, and no more towels that feel hard and crunchy after air drying for days, and . . . my bedroom would actually begin to look normal once again.
I was ecstatic!
My friend, if you are feeling shame because your life is not looking how you intended, hang in there! Know that you are not alone, and that shame does not spur anyone, ever, on to greatness. Instead, it condemns and provokes us to misery and guilt.
I love how scripture says, “let us strip off every weight that slows us down” (Hebrews 12:1). When it comes to financial strain there is often a perceived judgement from others, and a shame we feel, because we think this should be something within our control. Whether you have made some bad choices (we all have), or you find yourself in a situation you didn’t expect, since when did shame ever guide you in the right direction or help you achieve a new goal?
Let’s strip off shame, guilt, the victim mentality, anger, and all the things that are so easy for us to grab and hold onto for far too long. Being brave enough to expose our stories in the light of God’s love and in front of others, removes the enemy’s ability to shame us in the dark and keep us bound. Let’s leave no room for shame and guilt to work against us.
God promises us that he will never leave or forsake us, that he will bless us, provide for and protect us. Those promises are backed by all the honor of his name (Psalm 138:2) and “there is no greater to swear by” (Hebrews 6:13).
“This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls” (Hebrews 6:19).
Often God’s call to “come through this situation” is wildly different to what we envision. Yet, it’s powerful and for our good, even if we get squeamish, feel all of the human uncertainties, and want to run away. All I know is that each of us are in His hands, and His arms are there to catch us should we fall. He won’t let you drown my friend!
I can’t promise what next month will look like, or even next week. All I know is that we have today.
All good gifts, even those who repair what’s broken in the natural, come from God. He will not disgrace you, friend.
He uses our friends and family to often bless us if we’re brave enough to share the places of our lives that feel unmentionable. Let’s be courageous. No, our stories may not be meant for everyone to hear. And yet, often what we hide in the dark will have power over us.
There is nothing like sharing our experiences with one another to encourage each other forward, and often through this act of vulnerability, there will come a strength and freedom from God that the enemy cannot touch.
In It With You! With much grace and love,
Joelle Povolni
P.S. If you enjoyed this blog post you may want to check out Plan For The Impossible.
