Hey friends!
Homecoming was fantastic this year. If you didn’t get a chance to come or you haven’t heard the sermon online, go listen to it. Chuck Hood did a great job. Now, onto this week’s motivation.
Ever feel like you’re behind in life? Like you thought you’d be further along by now. More healed, more secure, more there? Well, let’s talk about it.
If you have read these over the years, I share intimate struggles about my life. One of those struggles I have talked about is declaring bankruptcy after our son was born. I know I should be embarrassed we went through that but honestly, I’m not. We declared a Chapter 13 so our debts weren’t “wiped away”. All the bankruptcy did was stop foreclosure, stop car repossession and stop interest and fees from accruing further. We had to repay ALL of our debt while maintaining our current mortgage, car payments, etc. For about 4 years, we worked, ate alot of hotdogs and did free things. That was it. But, man, did we learn ALOT.
But you see, the bankruptcy was just the end to a brewing financial situation. We were steadily going downhill financially for a couple of years. Then, after the 3 years it took to pay everything off, it took several more years to climb out the hole that was dug. Compared to all of our friends, we were really behind. Everyone we knew had already moved from their starter home to a nicer home. They were driving nice new cars. They went out to eat! We still lived in our townhouse (loved that house! We just wanted more space for our son). We drove good enough cars. And going out to eat isn’t that great.
But we felt like a complete failure. We felt like we failed our son. We made really dumb financial decisions and we never wanted it to impact him. Instead of being happy we had a roof over head, cars that worked and food to eat, we felt pressured to be better and better. And WE WERE getting better and better but not at the speed I wanted.
It’s a quiet pressure we carry.
We look around and see other people moving forward—checking boxes, hitting milestones, stepping into things we thought we’d already have by now. And if we’re honest, it can make us question everything.
“Did I miss something?”
“Did I take a wrong turn?”
“Why does this feel harder for me than it seems for everyone else?”
But what if you’re not behind? What if you’re being prepared?
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Not our timeline. Not our expectations. His time. And that’s the part that stretches us.
Because preparation rarely looks the way we expect it to. Sometimes it looks like waiting longer than you wanted to.
Sometimes it looks like doors closing that you were sure were right. Sometimes it looks like doing deep, quiet work in your heart that no one else can see.
It can feel slow. It can feel hidden. It can even feel like nothing is happening at all. It can feel like you are spinning your wheels working harder than ever and nothing….
But that doesn’t mean God isn’t working. Romans 8:28 reminds us, “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him…” All things. Not just the obvious blessings. Not just the moments that make sense. Even working 2 jobs. Even missing dinners with friends. Even the delays. Even the disappointments. Even the seasons that feel like a detour.
Especially those.
Because sometimes the very thing you’re frustrated by is the thing God is using to shape you, strengthen you, and prepare you for something you can’t quite see yet.
So if today you feel behind…
if you feel like life isn’t unfolding the way you hoped it would…
Take a breath.
- You are not behind.
- You are not forgotten.
- You are not off track.
God is not rushing you. He’s refining you. He’s building something in you that timing alone could never produce.
And where you are right now, even if it feels small, even if it feels slow…
It matters.
It’s part of the process. It’s part of the story. Your story.
Those bankruptcy years were the hardest in my life. But I promise I would never trade it for better. It was humbling. We learned to rely on each other. We appreciated help from our friends and family. I became a better cook! I learned to trust the Lord. That financial bankruptcy was just financial. It was spiritual.
So if you are going through something. Understand that one day, you may look back and realize this wasn’t the season you were falling behind, it was the season you were being prepared for everything that was coming next.
Love you all and see you Sunday,
Jennifer
