An Encouraging Anchor for Your Week

When Your Soul Needs a Contingency Plan

We have backup plans for almost everything we believe we can’t live without. But where do we run when we’re the ones running on empty?

Let’s talk about Wednesday evening. So, apparently, I had an urge to vacuum something that, for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was. (I mean, who has a desire to vacuum on a Wednesday night, right?)

And then I legit heard my poor baby’s motor die.

I mean, it was a sound that I just knew meant she had gone to appliance heaven…no turning back.

(And yes, the poor baby was my beloved vacuum. #RIP)

I think I was heartbroken for no more than 120 seconds before I logged into my Best Buy App, found another vacuum and agreed to pick up…on a Wednesday evening, y’all.

Here’s the thing, if any of you ask my husband, he’ll tell you that I’m not going anywhere after 7pm on a school night unless Jesus arrives and we are being transported to heaven. Yet, here I was waiting for Best Buy’s notification telling me my order was ready because this girl can’t be without a vacuum.

And it gets better, I didn’t just pick up my new pretty vacuum at 7:30PM on a school night, I actually came home and put that thing together! #SayWhat??

Here’s where I was convicted shortly after…

How did I become so motivated to instantly find a way to replace something physically broken that I know I cannot live without, but when I’m ME in an instant?

And the biggest thing, friends, if we’re honest with ourselves, all too often when we’re disappointed, overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted, confused, hurt, or when something simply feels off, we can spend an incredible amount of energy trying to fix what feels broken ourselves.

Sometimes we don’t even want to acknowledge that something is broken. So, we push through. We plan. We analyze. We call somebody. We scroll. We distract ourselves. We try to regain control.

We do everything we can think of to make ourselves (or the situation) feel okay again.

And somewhere in all that striving, we forget that we were never meant to carry it all in our own strength.

Can I get an “Amen, yeah, that’s me?”

If you really take a second and think about it, how many contingency plans do you have for everything you believe you can’t live without?

I mean, I can name a few: travel phone block charger, protein bar (because no one likes “hangry Dorene”), set ‘Oh Crap’ fund for the unexpected…I can go on.

But what about a contingency plan when we feel emotionally and spiritually drained?

Maybe our plans shouldn’t only account for what needs to get done. Maybe they should intentionally make room for where we need to run when life gets heavy.

Trust me when I say, this is speaking to me too.

As you go into this week, take an inventory of what your spiritual contingency plan really looks like.

Because here’s what I’m realizing: A contingency plan isn’t created because we’re expecting something to go wrong. We create one because we know that when life happens, we don’t want to be scrambling to figure out what to do next.

And maybe we need to be just as intentional about our spiritual lives.

1. Know Where You’re Going FIRST.

Before the analyzing. Before calling your person. Before Googling. Before trying to come up with a 17-step plan to fix everything yourself. (Again, talking to myself here.)

Go to God.

Hebrews 4:16 reminds us:

Notice that it doesn’t say after we’ve figured everything out.

It says in our time of need.

This week, let’s practice making prayer our first response—even if it’s simply, “Jesus, I don’t know what to do with this, but I’m bringing it to You.”

2. Keep His Truth Somewhere You Can Reach It

I had the Best Buy app ready when my vacuum gave up on life. 😂

What do I have ready when I’m the one struggling?

Maybe your spiritual contingency plan includes a few verses saved in your phone, written in your planner, taped to your bathroom mirror, or tucked somewhere you’ll actually see them.

Not 37 verses. Not another project to perfect.

Just a few reminders of who God is and what is true when our feelings are trying to tell us something different.

Ever-present.

We aren’t trying to find Him in the emergency. He’s already there.

3. Know Who Your People Are

Going to God first dosn’t mean we don’t need people.

Sometimes His provision looks like the friend who will pray with us instead of helping us spiral. The person who reminds us what God has already said when we’ve temporarily forgotten. The person who lovingly asks, *“Okay, but have you prayed

🙏 Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being our refuge, our strength, and our ever-present help, not only when life is going according to plan, but especially when it isn't.

Forgive us for the times we run everywhere else before we run to You. When we're hurting, overwhelmed, anxious, confused, or simply tired, remind us that we don't have to figure everything out before we come into Your presence.

Help us make You our first response instead of our last resort.

Give us wisdom to fill our hearts with Your truth, surround ourselves with people who point us back to You, and create enough margin in our lives to recognize Your voice.

And when the unexpected comes this week, remind us that we don't have to scramble looking for You.

You're already there.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

In Love and Christ,

Dorene Elizabeth

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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