faith unfaded

Remember pantyhose? For those of you too young to remember, they were contraptions that covered your legs in a variety of shades (nude, tan, taupe) in an effort to make your gams more desirable.

Those are legs, by the way, but I digress…

You’d inevitably catch a snag in them a la Julia Roberts’ Vivian in Pretty Woman (“Oh honey…I got a runner in my pantyhose…”) and there were no shortage of Heloise’s helpful hints to fix them. Clear nail polish, hairspray…we tried all the hacks before tossing the whole pair out and buying new ones.

Life is kind of like a pair of pantyhose. You find a complementary shade and wear it proudly. But invariably you will hit a snag. Sometimes a dab of polish will make you almost as good as new. Sometimes it takes half a can of Aqua Net. And sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can’t stop that run from spreading.

You’ve entered Snag City! Problem is, you can’t just toss out your life and get a new one. You have to navigate those tears.

I could apply as an Uber Driver in Snag City myself, having being a frequent visitor to its undesirable destination lately. Some days I think we should modernize Murphy’s Law to Jeanni’s Law: anything that can go wrong, will.

But while I don’t know Edward Murphy Jr’s faith, I know mine. And I know that no matter how many snags in my hose or bumps in the road, the Lord has promised me that everything is gonna be alright!

Here are 7 of my favorite verses to stand on when everything goes wrong:

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faithproduces perseverance.. James 1:2-3

I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Psalm 37:25

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

And I’d be remiss to not mention the two who stand on each side of me and hold me up when I grow weary: John E. Ritchie and Mary McNulty Welcome.

Godly friends, an earthly father who exemplifies Christ, and a Heavenly Father who adores me…how can I have anything BUT joy in my heart?

Even with a runner in my pantyhose!