House Projects

Growth, recovery and healing are all like house projects. I HATE the process of house projects.

Everything gets moved around. I see the dirt and grime that I have known was there but liked that it was hidden behind an appliance or underneath a counter top.

There are moments of excitement for me in the process. But generally I am extremely stressed, anxious and uncomfortable.

My space becomes disorganized, certain things become inaccessible, and workers invade my home. I try to remember why we are doing this and imagine what it will be like when it’s all done.

Oh, but the mess and the decisions and the invasion of my space and then the putting everything back together. Sometimes it is just too much to bare.

Counter Top Project

Our counter top project began a few months ago. On the first day, I found myself looking at the table piled high with stuff, while having no counter tops or kitchen sink to use and a house full of kids.

I was feeling squirrely and out of control. I didn’t want to be in the mess and wasn’t sure how long I could stand it.

Then it struck me………. this is exactly what happens when I am growing, recovering and healing.

Things usually have to get messy, rearranged and a little chaotic before they fall into the right place. The hardest part for me is letting go, trusting and sitting in the discomfort of the process.

Basically, being in the mess.

I often forget that there is pain on the way to the prize.

This also reminds me of a favorite quote that I have remembered from my teenage years from a great movie (A League of Their Own).

“It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard… is what makes it great.”

~Jimmy Dugan (played by Tom Hanks)

I have a whole post dedicated to this quote. Read it here.

Chaos proceeds change.

What about when you don’t see the prize?

What about when you’re not sure there is a prize?

What about when you don’t trust that the “prize” will really feel like one?

Why am I Writing This?

Today I am writing this because our counter tops were installed yesterday. I also need to encourage myself. I am in the middle of an internal house project. Everything is all jumbled up. It feels messy, out of control and confusing.

I am trying to lean in to the process, knowing that it is the way to the prize, whatever that may be. Despite the internal clutter and disorganization, there is purpose to this pain.

Yesterday I was out spending the morning with my boy. I came home expecting the work to still be underway. Instead, it was all done.

I walked in the door and was immediately mesmerized by how incredible the counter tops looked. The whole room had brightened and changed. I love them!

I write this today to encourage myself and hopefully someone else.

There is purpose in the pain and there is pain on the way to the prize.

We can endure the process. Keep trudgin’ wholeness warrior! I’m right with you!!

Related posts:

Trapped
A Holy Hospital Stay
Meeting God Right Where We Are
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Shannon Stedman

Shannon Stedman

I’m Shannon Stedman, a Certified Mastery Level Transformational Health and Life Coach. I work with women to overcome guilt and move themselves up on their priority lists so they can live with greater peace, joy and confidence. Get to know me better
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78 Comments

  69. I feel your pain. This is a good post to remind us that when the process is messy, we should remember the why, remember the goal. When I updated a house before selling, the contractors said “You won’t like the process, but you will like the result.” He was right.
    My 2022 was was a painful year, involving 2 home renovation projects, but remembering God’s goodness kept me going. You can read about it in my post:
    https://keonlindsey.com/good-in-a-terrible-year/

    Thanks for the encouragement.

  70. 《539彩券：台灣的小確幸》

    哎呀，說到台灣的彩券遊戲，你怎麼可能不知道539彩券呢？每次”539開獎”，都有那麼多人緊張地盯著螢幕，心想：「這次會不會輪到我？」。

    ### 539彩券，那是什麼來頭？

    嘿，539彩券可不是昨天才有的新鮮事，它在台灣已經陪伴了我們好多年了。簡單的玩法，小小的投注，卻有著不小的期待，難怪它這麼受歡迎。

    ### 539開獎，是場視覺盛宴！

    每次”539開獎”，都像是一場小型的節目。專業的主持人、明亮的燈光，還有那台專業的抽獎機器，每次都帶給我們不小的刺激。

    ### 跟我一起玩539？

    想玩539？超簡單！走到街上，找個彩券行，選五個你喜歡的號碼，買下來就對了。當然，現在科技這麼發達，坐在家裡也能買，多方便！

    ### 539開獎，那刺激的感覺！

    每次”539開獎”，真的是讓人既期待又緊張。想像一下，如果這次中了，是不是可以去吃那家一直想去但又覺得太貴的餐廳？

    ### 最後說兩句

    539彩券，真的是個小確幸。但嘿，玩彩券也要有度，別太沉迷哦！希望每次”539開獎”，都能帶給你一點點的驚喜和快樂。

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