There are lots of things to steal your joy, and waiting for the other shoe to drop is a big one.
Last week I was feeling a little under the weather along with my computer. There was a Windows update which caused it to freeze up. I called my tech angel, Terry, who shared with me that sometimes it takes restarting your computer three times for the update to fully connect. Problem solved!
Since we are so dependent on our computers, and since computer issues can be a great source of stress, I thought I would share this little tech solution with you in case you need it now or in the future. : )
But there is another problem that creeps into our lives which can shut us down… worry. Do you live waiting for the other shoe to drop?
Where the Phrase Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop Originated
The phrase ordinated in New York City tenements at the turn of the 20th century. Tenements were usually poorly constructed apartment buildings with the same floor plan. So, one’s bedroom would be under another’s.
Each night, residents could hear their upstairs neighbors dropping their shoes to the floor, first one, then the other before they went to bed. The expectation was waiting for the sound of the second shoe.
Waiting for this second shoe to drop could be a source of comfort or predictability in this sense. But that phrase is far less comforting today, especially given the state of the world with the on-going pandemic, climate change causing havoc, and the ongoing stress of paying the bills, caring for aging parents, children, health concerns… what could happen next???
I confess that I used to live waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was afraid to allow myself to feel joy, being on guard for what could happen next, as if anticipating something bad happening would prepare me for when it did.
Mark Twain said, “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”
How Do You Stop Worry from Stealing Your Joy?
What you focus on you attract into your life. If you focus on all the negative that is going on in the world and in your life, you are going live in a state of dread, which is no way to live!
Limit your exposure to the news and social media. Turn off alerts to your phone. These alerts not only suck time out of your day, but they easily steal your joy and can cause you to worry.
Give Those Worries Over to God
The Message version of Matthew 6:24 says: Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
When we worry about the other shoe dropping, we miss the joy in the present moment. We don’t fully live. You can choose joy over worry.
If the present moment is painful for you, there is always hope that tomorrow will be better. Psalm 33:20-22 assures us: We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.
Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. You already possess it.
If things are going well for you right now, savor the present. Don’t invest needless energy preparing for the other shoe to drop. You will miss out on joy right here, right now.
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