When my husband and I bought our second house, it was a fixer upper.
Which is a nice way to say we bought a dump.
The weeds in the backyard were taller than I was on tiptoes, the walls were peeling, the bathrooms were stained, the appliances were broken and the carpet was scary. And that was just the beginning.
But as ugly as it looked on the surface, it was ours.
And that made it pretty special. Or ugly special, whatevs.
One night after my husband repaired shelves in the master closet, he rehung all of our clothes on the rod. He moved on to the next project on our list, which happened to be sitting on the sofa because home repair is exhausting. Just as we sat down, we heard a horrific crash. When we opened the closet door, not only had the rods come out of the wall, so had the, um, wall. Huge holes were not exactly functional.
I wanted to cry. And did. I was 9 months pregnant and our air conditioner was about to break, the new church job wasn’t a good fit and so the broken closet fit in perfectly with all the brokenness around me.
It seemed like everything we touched crumbled.
The more things fell apart the more we fell into Jesus.
{photo by zanehollingsworth}
That was more than ten years ago and I can see now what I couldn’t then: every ounce of sweat equity we poured into that house would pay off when the market spiked and provided enough money for us to start over. Every tear we cried in that hard place would propel us into a better one.
We can’t see where today’s problem might lead us. Or what good may come of our current struggle.
But we can trust this: Our problems lead us to Jesus. Our desperation puts us face to face with a God who can fix broken things.
He is the storm calmer. He is the cleft in the rock. He is our strong tower in the battle. He is. There.
I don’t know what you’re facing today. You may need more money than you can imagine, more healing than doctors say possible, more answers for your questions. You’re on the path to God. Because when we can’t, He can.
So, first, thank Him for the problem. Then ask Him to show you a way out. When we focus on Christ instead of the tough spot we’re in, it might not change our situation immediately, but it changes us. Which is even better.
Written by Kristen Welch, We are THAT family
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I’m up and reading this at 3 am because of a problem with my 20 year old son. I couldn’t sleep and God led me to your post…I know I need to thank God for the problem (that I have a son with whom to have a problem). Now the tough part – keep my eyes focused on Christ and not the problem. Give the problem over to Him. Simple but true…now, hopefully, for some sleep. Thank you!
Blessings,
Bev
Amen, Kristen! I had a situation yesterday that resulted in quite a bit of distress. This morning as I was reading my Bible, Ps 20 seemed to reflect my thoughts:
“Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. ”
Praising God because it is truly in the tough situations that we have to lean on Him with all our might. And He is mighty and trustworthy! We can stand firm rooted on the Rock.
Powerful. Thank you.
Amen… Amen. Always a blessing to be reminded… I am also reminded that “His strength is made perfect in our weakness…”, and that God will work everything out for our good, Amen. Thank you:)
Thank you, Kristen!! I am SO There!! 🙂
I’m on the verge of a new beginning that scares me just as much as it excites me . Reading this is a comforting. I totally agree that when we focus on Christ instead of the tough spot we’re in, it might not change our situation immediately, but it changes us. Which is even better. i pray this becomes my reality as I fix my gaze on Him.
….and thanks for sharing!
An attitude of praise is the key! Thank you for this gentle reminder!
“But we can trust this: Our problems lead us to Jesus. Our desperation puts us face to face with a God who can fix broken things.
He is the storm calmer. He is the cleft in the rock. He is our strong tower in the battle. He is. There.”
Thank you for this truth. It was a reminder that I needed to read this morning.
Thank The Lord that he is always there no matter how broken or full of doubt we may be. He is there and mets us face to face.
Thank you so much for this post. It came at a time of struggle for us. What a great reminder!
Struggles are a necessary way to bring us to God and find His help in our time of need. It is great to hear how your situation became the means of turning to God for His strength and wisdom. Problems will always be a part of life but the way we respond to the situation is the important process of becoming transformed by His power.
Wow. I think you have written this specially for me in Holland. Thank you very much. This is good to think about.
Thank you! Sweet reminders today as I sit at the computer sick. A full list of symptoms that render me unable to do daily things. Tears streamed down my face earlier as I prayed the doctors would figure it out because I can’t take it anymore. I am in His hands wrapped in His love, but I just can’t take it. Your words brought some hope today that He will get me through the impossible. Thanks. 🙂
Kelly, I can hear your cry of helplessness and hopelessness. My heart goes out to you and prayers go up for you and your physical struggles. Take heart! God hears your cry. And another struggling sister in Texas hears you too. Please be encouraged that someone unknown to you now is thinking of you and lifting you up to God.
Yes maam. I am so there today and after the debt collector called and i said you know what basically i dont have a solution to this problem it was then that God showed me one, but i had to admit i was powerless first.
I love the way you spin this perspective, Kristen. Real and powerful.
Kristen,
How very very true that we need to change our focus on God. I have been in the middle of a job duty change at work for some time. I complain and let my emotions show, but after a time I started praying about the situation and even my co-workers.
I find that during this time I tend to be more focused on God and His word than ever before. So Thank You Jesus for this problem–It is drawing me closer to you!
I was sitting here feeling sorry for myself and surfing the web on my phone. I’ve never been to this website just heard about it Could not have been better timing Thank you.
I was so touched and blesses by this article. Thank you so much for writing it. I am presently in the midst of a problem that I thought would take the very life out of me. I invested many millions of my own money plus other millions I borrowed from friends in a deal I thought would work out only to find out at the end of the day all that money had been lost. The so-called people I was doing the so-called businees ith just vanished into thin air leaving me heavily in debt. Not only had I lost my money but I was also heavily indebted. For some time, I just thought life had come to an end. But following your article, I have started thanking God for this problem and eventually, I shall ask Him for a way out of the debts
Thank-you for this! A powerful reminder … We’re “on the path to God” … love it!
Carole
Thank you for speaking right into my heart. I’m struggling today. I found out that my husband, who has been having affairs off and on for the last number of years is hiding stuff from me again (he has an email account that he doesn’t know I know about)…and I found this out on my birthday no less.
Thanks so much. It is really powerful. I have printed it out to read it over and over. I am really in the midst of one now. God bless you
Thank you for your post, a friend shared this with me as I struggle to face the repairs again. I bought my fixer upper 15 years ago with the last of my savings. It was a project suggested by a counselor for my at that time recovering alcoholic husband coming back out of rehabilitation. He eagerly accepted the project and I was happy to empty my savings at the site of a reborn soul mate excited to restore a home for our young family of 4. It took us 2 months to make the house livable. We moved in. It was our first home as an owner and I will never forget how proud we felt the first night we spent in OUR new home. Soon the hot water heater failed, electricity to half of the house and the septic backed up into the basement. Along with many other little challenges. The pressure of everything falling apart with 2 little ones under the age of 2, pressures at his job and our finances my husband returned to alcohol use and left at the site of his failure. In order to keep my house I have been working 1 to 3 jobs over the last 15 years with little time or funds to work my house. I love my home and only I can see what I hope it to look like someday. I suppose my home is much like my relationship with God. I love him and I can see where I need to be with my walk with him but doing more than talking about praying more or being in the word more or earnestly trusting him seems to take the back seat as do the repairs and clutter to my job and my families extracurricular activies. My oldest son is now 17.5 and I am still where I was 15 years ago. I have run out of time to make a home for my family. Thank you for your advice.
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for my home, thank you for my problem. I know that you can make all things new and that you are the healer of the broken. Lord, I am broken. Please Lord help me to see the way out of this. Please do not allow me to become distracted by those around me. Please help me to keep my eyes focused on you Lord. That I may follow you all the way to the home you have prepared for me. In Jesus Name, Amen.
What a timely word! Thank you. Thank you!!!