Everything Will Be Okay
This message arrived in my email inbox this morning. I bought something from Natural Life last year, and I continue to get all the emails, as you do. The inbox fills up fast, doesn’t it? Usually I unsubscribe from retailers right after my purchase arrives – except Target, of course, because we all know I’ll be going back to that cart – but this time I didn’t. Because Natural Life sends me what they call The Chirp: a brief pick-me-up, some inspirational words paired with happy artwork. And I kind of love it. Frequently, I’ll share them with my teen boys, and even though they would never admit it, I think they like them, too.
So today’s message was, “everything will be okay.” Timely, of course, because of the uncertainty we’re all still facing regarding how the pandemic will play out in the months ahead. But I realized that those are words we all need to hear not just during a pandemic, but when the little things pile on. The little stuff of daily life that adds up to feel like big stuff if you let it: making the grocery run, sending birthday cards on time (this is almost as difficult for me as getting the library books back before they’re due), scheduling dentist appointments, wondering if you said the wrong thing to a dear friend, finding time to be with your spouse one-on-one, getting all your people to all the places, questioning your decision to stay at home or return to work, “has anyone seen my phone/charger/keys?” and on it goes. And I find I need to remind myself of the big picture when the little stuff is taking up too much space in my head. Another version of “everything will be okay” for me is, “God’s got this.” Anyone else?
I also find myself saying it to others, and I hope it sits well with them (sometimes clichés can rub me the wrong way because they feel like a “one size fits all” solution to my specific set of circumstances, and I try to remember this when I offer it.) I’ve said it a lot to my teenager during the whole online schooling experience, and even though it doesn’t solve the problem, sometimes it eases his tension long enough to create a pause that helps him regroup. For many of us, it’s a reminder of what we already know, but forget when the stress / overwhelm creeps in.
Maybe you know this feeling, too. It comes in so many varieties. Not surprisingly, it can pop up when you’ve decided to start a new project. Maybe you’re going to change things up at home. Sometimes you are eager to get started but don’t know where to begin, so you don’t. Sometimes you know what you like, but when you start purchasing art or testing paint samples, and you realize it’s not what you expected, you second-guess yourself. Self-doubt. Fading confidence. Maybe some low-level panic. Ugh. “What is happening?” you think. “What am I missing? Why can’t I get this right? Maybe I don’t know what I like. Maybe what I like is lame. Maybe I just wasted a bunch of money. What if I hate it?” Whoa, hang on. Remind yourself.
Everything will be okay.
Because you know what? It will. You can repaint the wall, return the artwork, drape a throw over the chair, cover the floor you don’t love with a rug that you do, live with the drab siding but paint your front door, switch the decor between two rooms, throw it out, add a plant, call a friend. Marie Forleo’s version is, “everything is figureoutable.” Sometimes it means getting creative. Sometimes it means letting go.
Sometimes it means looking for the good that God can bring during a difficult season. I’ve seen God show up in the strangest ways during the hard stuff lately. He gives me bizarrely unexpected gifts that remind me how well he knows me. Like finding the exact Madewell white overalls I had my eye on for $12 at the thrift store. I know, I’m vain, but God knows what helps. My ugly 1970s siding was replaced by insurance from storm damage when we couldn’t possibly have replaced it ourselves. Our income has been affected by this pandemic, and it feels like God keeps dropping friends in our laps who are being especially generous. God has his hands in the big stuff that’s going on in our world right now, but God also has his eyes on you and all the small stuff.
We know you’ve all been spending so much time in your homes. So have we, and I notice everything I don’t love about my home. But guys, changes don’t have to be big or expensive. Start small, and see how it feels. Let us know if we can help.
Remember, everything will be ok.
– Emily + Carrie
• Photo source: Tabitha Turner on Unsplash