Perfectly Imperfect
I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. We are exactly where we are supposed to be in our journey. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that we encounter that isn’t a blessing or a lesson. Everything is literally mapped out in God’s perfect timing for us…we just have to trust in Him and know that He will never put us through more than we can handle.
Negative things that happen to us automatically get categorized as trials when maybe they are just fortifying us for something greater. When someone damaged our fence late 2025, my husband and I could’ve allowed it to completely knock us off our game and ruin our mood. It was annoying on the surface because we had to actually put our dogs on a leash to walk them instead of just allowing them to roam free. We also had to work with our insurance company, so there were variables out of our control that dictated the situation.
Despite it being a lowkey catastrophe, it ended up working out in the best way for us. We had already planned on getting our fence restained in the spring of 2026 and the Lord just sped up our timeline a little. We took the hurdle in stride and our fence was repaired within a week and stained within two. We didn’t allow the inconvenience to distract us from being grateful that our house wasn’t damaged, no pets were injured, and no human lives were lost.
Sometimes, short sighted thinking can really ruin your life. It’ll force you to move when it’s not the right time. It’ll make you rage quit without taking your family or responsibilities into consideration. It’ll make your temper quick to flare and your tongue reckless, leading to hurt feelings, negative perceptions, and reduced opportunities.
You’ll waste money unnecessarily and exhaust yourself from trying to control things that are out of your hands. You’ll make strategic missteps and spend months, years, and sometimes even decades correcting. You’ll make decisions based on people who don’t matter instead of prioritizing those who do. You might even burn a bridge that you’ll unknowingly need in the future.
At the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves, ‘Is it really worth me getting upset?’ and truly weigh the consequences of our actions. Sometimes we make rash decisions out of anger and frustration that don’t benefit us in the long term. Stepping back from situations and allowing yourself to calm down helps you run the marathon and not the sprint of life.
Case in point, I hate the lights being on at work and my brain doesn’t understand why that’s the mole hill management wants to make into a mountain. It’s just not that big of a deal to me. While it’s extremely annoying sitting under bright, fluorescent lights five days a week, it’s helping me to refocus my mind and remember that at the end of the day, I’m not responsible for anything in the business outside of my explicit job functions. I don’t have to worry about an expensive light bill or potentially repairing the disconnect and low morale amongst the team. All I have to do is clock in, do my job, and leave.
Of course, I would love for things to be different, but I’ve been around the block long enough to know that things don’t really change. You have a higher chance of changing yourself than changing institutions, organizations, and businesses so you can either accept and adapt to the new normal, go against the grain, or completely remove yourself.
When it’s my time to leave, I’m sure the Lord will let me know. He already knows what’s going to happen and I don’t mind being the late one to the party. In the meantime, I’m prepared to play the waiting game, act my wage, and take everything one day at a time. I know that making a permanent decision like quitting out of irritation is NEVER the move, though.
I’m also not allowing situations that just aren’t meaningful to me to steal my joy. If I’m particularly passionate about something, I don’t mind duking it out, but there are only a handful of topics that fit that criteria. My husband, dogs, and family are at the top of that list and I’m willing to move mountains behind them.
Work, for me, is at the bottom of the things I have to care about. If I miraculously came into a substantial amount of money to where I didn’t have to work ever again, I promise I have enough interests to keep me entertained while I’m traveling the world, raising another puppy, hiking, biking, trying new recipes, and everything else in my free 40 hours a week.
Moral of the story is to not let these people or situations get you outside of your body. Protect your peace, make informed decisions that consider both your short and long term future, and remember that everything you experience is part of God’s perfectly imperfect plan for your life.
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
