When The Shoe Doesn't Fit
Sometimes our expectations have a way of stealing our joy. So often we have an idea of how we think God should do things and we find ourselves disappointed in the outcome. The bible says;
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with the joy in your presence, with eternal pleasure at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11 NLT
I think in all areas of our life we like to put stipulations on what we think it should look like.
We say things like, “God I trust you with my marriage,” but in our hearts, we have a long list of “as long as”…”as long as my husband never falls ill” or as long as “we don’t fall on hard financial times,” etc. Whether we are aware of it or not, it is usually our actions when pressing things to come our way.A couple of years ago God prompted our hearts to begin the process of adoption. We found the same stipulations coming to the surface. Essentially we were saying- God I trust you with this plan you have called us to, but on our terms. Unfortunately, I think a lot of Christians have our version of “fine print” that keeps God and His plans for us in a box. For us, we were happy to step into God’s calling as long as it fits our parameters {“If It’s in our timing,” “in our comfort zone,” “according to our plans”}. This was the beginning of God convicting our hearts to submit to His plan with full abandon and faith.
Related Post: How to Live a Life That is Proactive Instead of Reactive
During the adoption process, you are required to fill out paperwork that allows you to decide what (if any) special needs you are willing to accept in your future child. It was honestly my least favorite part of our adoption process. It requires you to go down a long list of illnesses and specials needs you would be open to. As much as I loathed filling out this part, I understood it was a necessary part of the process. Time to honestly access what you felt like your family could accommodate.I know God had to be laughing. I mean think about the list of things that a person can endure in one’s life that we would never select on a sheet of paper as something we could “accommodate.” This is the beauty of the gospel. As believers, this is usually when we see God show up the most, where He is ultimately glorified.When preparing for our adoption, we decided to take adoption waiting photos. In our photos, we used a little pair of girls’ shoes to symbolize our future daughter. I had to laugh the other day when I came across this little pair of shoes. They are tiny and dainty and perfectly pink.
Thinking of my now daughter wearing them would be silly, and quite frankly the shoe wouldn’t fit.
But it’s so much more than the shoe not being the same size as my now daughters foot. To me, it signifies how different Gods plans are than ours. My husband and I picked out this little shoe when dreaming up the child God had in store for us. Luckily the shoe doesn’t fit because what fun would it be to live our lives in our self-controlled comfort zones.Often we let unmet expectations determine our happiness or steal our contentment. When we identify the root of our dissatisfaction and recognize the beauty of the story or situation He has put in front of us we can unlock pure and Godly Joy. Joy because we know this was, in fact, His plan and comfort that it’s nothing we could dream up in our small human minds. This is when living out Christianity takes flight. We want to believe that Gods “plan” for our life is to live safe lives with a perfect little house. To live a life with perfectly behaving children and without any hardships.The truth is that God wants us to radically trust Him and allow Him to use our present circumstances to bring Him glory. My husband and I wanted to write our story (with the intentions of giving God the glory), but primarily we wanted to make it easy on Him… (As if God needed help?) In the beginning, we were afraid to step into anything “messy” because what if it looked bad? What if this child was broken beyond repair..?
Thankfully we learned we serve a God who can use the whole story, the brokenness, the hurt, the pain and He can transform it and restore it to something perfect.
It is when we step out of what makes us comfortable when God shows up. He refines us, He restores us, and He sustains us, and I’ve come to find that there is no other way I would rather live. Today I stand thankful the shoe didn’t fit.
“This is my command-be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NLT
My prayer today
“God I ask you today to continually remind me that our hope is in you and not in our expectations. Father make us brave to choose the “messy.” Renew our minds to understand that you can make all things new. Give us strong hands and willing feet. Give us the strength to walk out the plans you have for us while we are on this earth.
Father never let us do a single thing in our ability because it is there we will fall. God, I pray that the shoe never fits in any area of our life. Give us boldness to approach your plan over our own. Let us be courageous, let us find comfort in your plans over our own. Let us continually give up our lives to you daily for you to make new like you promise you will. It is in your precious name we pray, Amen.”