Isaiah 64:8 (NLT)
"And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand."
A Girl and Her Toolbox: Fixing Life’s Messes with the Right Tools
Fifty years of life have taught me a lot, but there’s one lesson that stands out like a neon sign in a dark alley: the harder the season, the less you should fight, resist, or push your way through it. I know that sounds counterintuitive—everything in us screams to fight back, to push harder, to resist the pressure. But here’s the thing: that battle mentality often keeps us stuck longer than we need to be.
There came a point when I started asking a different question in the middle of my hardest moments:
“Lord, what are You trying to teach me?”
And let me tell you, that one shift changed everything.
Why Fighting Doesn’t Work
Now, while I’m a girl through and through (hello, Target runs, coffee mugs, and an unnecessary but irresistible number of shoes in my closet), I can’t help but pull out a metaphorical toolbox for this one.
Here’s the reality check: when we’re in survival mode, we grab the same rusty tools we’ve always used—fight, resist, and push. It’s like trying to fix a leaky pipe with duct tape and prayer (though, let’s be honest, prayer will get you further). The problem is, those tools just don’t work.
If we don’t stop to learn the lesson God is teaching us in that season, we won’t grow through it. And if we don’t grow through it, we carry the same bad tools into the next hard season, thinking maybe this time they’ll work.
Spoiler alert: they won’t.
The Power of Listen, Learn, Grow
When I finally traded my tools of resistance for ones of reflection, everything began to shift. Instead of feeling like I was drowning under the weight of life’s storms, I started to see the lessons God was weaving into the chaos.
Listening to Him opened my heart to His purpose.
Learning from Him transformed my thinking.
Growing through Him prepared me for what was next.
Does that mean the hard seasons disappeared? Not at all. But my perspective changed. I wasn’t stuck in the same endless loop of frustration and duct-tape solutions. I started showing up differently—more equipped, more surrendered, and definitely more hopeful. The silver lining made its appearance a lot sooner, to be honest.
Changing the Tools in Your Toolbox
So here’s my question for you: what’s in your toolbox?
If you’re in a hard season right now, I want to encourage you to pause. Take a deep breath. Stop grabbing that metaphorical crowbar, trying to force the situation to change. Instead, ask:
“Lord, what are You teaching me? What do You want to grow in me through this?”
That question is like pulling out the right tool—a key that unlocks the door to growth. It doesn’t make the season easy, but it gives it purpose. And once you start listening, learning, and growing, you’ll find that God equips you with new tools to face what’s ahead.
The Girl and Her Toolbox
I may not be the person you call to fix a wobbly table, but when it comes to navigating life’s tough seasons, I’ve learned to update my toolbox. Instead of duct tape and resistance, I’ve got surrender, prayer, and a whole lot of God’s grace in there now.
And you know what? Those tools don’t just patch things up—they rebuild, restore, and prepare you for what’s next.
So, whatever you’re facing, let this be the moment you stop fighting against the season and start growing through it. It’s in that shift where real transformation happens.
Let the Lord teach you. Let Him grow you. And, don’t forget to check your toolbox—you might just need a little upgrade. Target here I come!