“Why?” I thrust my hands upward and wailed to the ceiling. “Why does it have to be so HARD?”
The alleged two-step cabinet refinishing project had taken five steps and as many days. Bruised, blistered, and sore, I teetered on the edge of the countertop in an effort to replace the first door, in the awkward corner above the fridge. But the hinge refused to click into place as expected. The fraying edges of my mind and soul threatened to unravel. I catastrophized the apparent waste of a week, ruin of my home, and my aloneness in this crisis.
From the depths of my spirit, a whisper suggested I was never truly alone. Yet in my angst, tears threatened to overwhelm me and I pleaded with the Lord for some kind of help before I completely lost it.
I know how it sounds to bluster over the cabinets, and would likely have shamed myself for it later. But God, as is his way, stepped in to rescue me from the hole of my own digging.
Not too many moments later, I took the door labeled for the cabinet above the stove. It proved just as stubborn. I then noticed it overlapped the center of the stove cabinet. I’d labeled it for this spot, right?
Hmm. What if …
Oh. The cabinet labeled for the stove clicked into the hinge above the fridge. I had mislabeled the highest doors.
I might’ve chosen to beat myself up with shame, both for the silliness of my near-breakdown and for the foolish mistake. But Grace had answered my cries and His presence with me delivered me from darkness, isolation, and shame. I felt too thankful to dwell in the pit another moment.
How many times have I mislabeled high places in my life? And when have I therefore tried to force things into place which were never meant to fit there?
I learned the following secrets from my cabinet lesson:
- Pray for God to label where things belong in my life.
- When things refuse to fit, ask God to equip me or redirect my path. He is faithful to do what is best for me and for his perfect work through me.
- Beware of catastrophizing thought patterns. These should offer me a red flag that I’m off-target.
- I’m never alone, and should never complain such a thing, for my Lord and Father is always with (and for) me.
- Shame is not from God. He offers redirection to correct our mistakes so we can move forward in right living and thankfulness.
- We cannot ruin beyond the reach of Christ’s redemption. He has resources to restore all things.
- Keep the sense of wasting time in perspective with the gift of eternity in Jesus. If I spend all my time focused on Christ, I will not have wasted a single moment.
- Proper self-care and rest can help prevent fraying edges. Sabbath guards and strengthens the soul.
Have you ever felt things were too hard?
The Lord promises to be with us always, even in the trials. If we submit to him, he will equip us to get through the challenges or redirect us to another path if we’re trying to force our way into a place we weren’t intended to fit.
As always, I look forward to your comments and sharing time with you again.
Be Encouraged,
Tina