Waiting for the other shoe to drop

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

Waiting for the other shoe to drop is an old idiom believed to have derived from the days of the tenant houses in large cities. When the residents would come home from work you could hear them drop their shoes on the floor from above. Somehow this phrase became known to anticipate something usually with dread because it’s undesirable.

Have you ever dealt with something with trepidation but you know the situation may not be totally resolved. Especially when we’re dealing with anything regarding our health, it can be really difficult to navigate through all the decisions needed to be made. The doctors layout all the options but ultimately we have to choose which path we will take. I know I have and it can cause anxiety and rob us of our peace.

This is where our faith has to be greater than our fears and we can’t go down the road of “what if’s”. The great thing about God is He’s the same today as He was yesterday and will remain the same tomorrow. God alone is our comforter, redeemer, and friend, all we have to do is keep our faith and seek his guidance.

It’s easy to write down how to respond when we go through difficult situations, but it’s easier said than done when we’re in the midst of a storm ourselves. We can never underestimate the power of prayer because we’re able to gain a clear direction on what our next step should be. I know when I was dealing with my own health issues several years ago I had to constantly remind myself, “God’s got this!”.

Job is one of the most courageous people written about in the Old Testament when it comes to suffering. He experienced wave after wave of unimaginable devastation being hurled at him, yet his faith remained constant. That doesn’t mean he didn’t question what was happening and became angry with God, because he did.

When Job got to the other side of his inflictions and was restored, I imagine he reflected back and realized he was even stronger than he ever thought possible. So it is with us, we become refined when we get through the difficult times in our lives. We don’t have to fear for the other shoe to drop when our hope is in the Lord. He is the source of our strength and He will give us discernment so we know with confidence we’re making the right decisions.