I sometimes find myself living a life of "waiting for the other shoe to drop." Past traumas can form a pathway in your brain of always expecting the worst or knowing the bad could be lurking an hour or a day or a month away.
I started wondering about the saying, "waiting for the other shoe to drop" and I did a little research. It began in the early 1900's with poorly constructed buildings in the U.S. that had very thin floors and walls. At night, tenants would often hear their neighbors above them getting ready for bed. They would hear one shoe drop to the floor and then wait to hear the other. When both shoes had hit the floor, they knew their neighbors were quieting down for the evening, and they could relax for a little while in peace and quiet.
Oftentimes, we live "waiting for the other shoe to drop." We live wondering what bad news will be delivered to us next. Bad news comes knocking, and we weigh the odds of how much longer until the next bad news reaches our door step. The human existence is full of catastrophes, trauma, and mishaps.
Living like this is not the life Christ intended for us. He came to set us free from anxiety and worry. He came to give us abundant life. He came to carry our burdens and stick closer to us than a brother.
We have a choice in the waiting. We can live in anticipation of the other shoe dropping, or we can live in anticipation of how God is going to work it all out for our good and His glory when it does drop.
Tonight, my prayer is simply this: "Lord, I don't know what is going to happen next. I don't know what bad news will fill my ears, but the good news of Jesus fills my heart. I know it's going to be okay. I know I am going to be okay. No matter what drops next, you will always catch me with your mercy, grace, and love. Thank you, Father, for being so good to me."
