29. Trusting God When You Can't Fix It

We've all had problems we feel helpless to fix. Whether it's an illness, a job situation, an unscrupulous landlord, or an unjust system, there are times when we can't remedy the situation. 

In this heartfelt finale of season one of 'Courageous Retirement,' host Vona Johnson shares how she is facing problems she cannot fix and offers encouragement for those feeling overwhelmed. Her story is a testament to the power of faith and trust in God's plan. 

Through touching stories, including an inspiring encounter involving her grandson, Vona emphasizes the importance of listening to God's quiet nudges and trusting His plan. 

She reflects on scripture passages that provide comfort and urges listeners to rely on prayer and faith rather than trying to fix everything themselves. 

This episode reminds us to embrace our faith, live our purpose, and trust God, especially during challenging times when we feel helpless. 

Join us for valuable insights and spiritual encouragement that are relevant to everyone who struggles with situations we cannot control. 

00:00 Introduction: Facing Unfixable Problems
00:39 The Challenge of Watching Others Struggle
01:51 A Personal Story: The Angel in the Red Jeep
02:57 God's Subtle Nudges
04:43 The Power of Prayer and Scripture
06:18 Trusting God's Plan
08:02 Conclusion and Season Wrap-Up

Scripture References:
 "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[a] in harmony with God’s own will." Romans 8:26-27 NLT

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. " Psalm 34:18 NLT

"Give all your worries and cares to God for he cares for you."  1 Peter 5:7 NLT

Quotes from Vona:
"And that's why we, as believers, need to be bold sometimes. Not pushy, but bold enough to follow that nudge that God is giving us to act in love, even when we're not sure if our action will be well received."

"It's okay to trust God when it doesn't feel like there's anything else that we can do. In fact, sometimes it takes more courage to stand back and let God reveal his plan in his timing than it does for us to rush in and try and fix it."

This concludes Season 1 of Courageous Retirement. I hope you have enjoyed it. I will be taking a short hiatus and will return mid-July. I encourage you to go back and listen to earlier epsisodes you may have missed or hop over and listen to episodes of Longing for More!
https://episodes.fm/1393780527?view=apps&sort=popularity

I'll see you back here soon. Enjoy your summer!

Thank you for stopping by today! Remember to Engage Your Faith and Live Your More as you reap the benefits of Courageous Retirement!

To watch the video, check out my YouTube Channel!

Learn more about the show, author Vona Johnson, and more at CourageousRetirement.com!

Schedule a free 15 minute Your Path to More call with Vona.

Transcript

0:00

Lately I've been surrounded by problems that I can't fix. As a problem solver and a fixer. This has been really hard for me. I really wanna help in these situations, but the reality is I can't fix any of them. I am going share some encouragement and things that I do to help me get through these difficult times I hope you'll join us.

Vona Johnson: 0:20

Do you fear? What lies beyond retirement? What if it's a gateway to a life filled with purpose, meaning, and adventure rather than an end? Discover peace and fulfillment as you boldly enter this new chapter in Courageous Retirement, a Christian podcast. I'm your host, author, and coach Vona Johnson. Let's get started.

0:39

You know, it's really hard to sit back and watch people that we care about go through struggles in their lives, whether it's someone we know personally or as a community, we want things to go well for people. We want people to be able to know that they're protected and cared for, and it's really difficult when there are times when we just can't solve the problems. As as people who have a tendency to be independent and wanna work things out ourselves, it can be really, really challenging when we realize that we just can't fix it. As a city commissioner I've been challenged because there have been some problems that come up in areas that I'm supposed to be the expert in and affordable housing. And there are problems that the city just can't fix, and my heart just goes out to those folks. I have a friend whose landlord is just being terrible and not fixing anything, and when she brings it up, he just tells her to move. Who does that? I have other friends who, have serious illnesses having surgery, potentially others with rehab. The list just goes on and on of all of the things that are going on.

Vona Johnson: 1:52

You know, this reminded me of something that happened recently with my grandson. He was trying a new route to his friend's but this new route kind of got him twisted around and he ended up getting lost. And it was really scary for a, for a 7-year-old little guy. It was terrifying. And so he just stopped where he was and was standing on the corner just crying his little heart out. But God showed up in a form of a very kind stranger. I like to call the kind stranger, the angel in a red jeep because that person saw my little guy and recognized that there was something wrong. And instead of just driving by, they stopped. They helped him and they made sure that he got home safely. And it struck me, how often is it that we are the one who's lost? We're crying out, unsure of the way forward or the way that we should be going, the path we should take, and how often are we the one that's being nudged by God to stop notice someone else and reach out and help them? I think God nudges us in quiet ways, not always in a big voice or a dramatic moment. Sometimes it's just an idea that won't go away. A thought like, maybe I should go check in on that person, or I wonder if they would need help with dinner tonight, or I wonder if they would just really like to have someone stop by and visit. The thing is people don't often ask for help, whether it's pride, fear, or just being overwhelmed. They stay silent. They don't wanna intrude. They don't wanna be a bother, and that's why we as believers need to be bold sometimes. Not pushy, but bold enough to follow that nudge that God is giving us to act in love, even when we're not sure if our action will be well received. Sometimes we're that little boy standing on the corner, aren't we? Sometimes we're lost and we're scared and we're unsure where to turn, and sometimes we're the angel in the red jeep The one that God sends to help. You know, God doesn't just hit us over the head when he wants us to do something, he will give us an idea and then he will. Remind us of that idea, and he will remind us again if we don't follow through. And after a while, it almost feels urgent. It's like, okay, God, I get it. You really want me to do this. In fact, I kind of go with the rule. If it, the idea has come up three times and I haven't done something, it might be time to do that. And it can be scary to do that. And we, can be, unsure as to whether we should do it, but again, if he's nudging us, it's probably time to listen. We don't need to be pushy. We just need to be present, and we need to be obedient. When God asks us to help. Sometimes In the situations that I described before this, these times where it just feels so heavy and there's nothing that I can do to fix it. Prayer can sometimes feel like it's just something that we can do when really it's everything that's the most important thing we can do. Scripture offers us some comforting words. Romans 8:26-27 tells us the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. When I asked my grandson about being lost, I asked him if he prayed, and he said, yeah, just a little bit. And I, I feel like the, in that moment, the Holy Spirit was praying for him because he didn't know what to pray for. Another verse that I think is really helpful in these situations is Psalm 34:18. The Lord is close to the broken hearted. He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. And then of course, 1st Peter 5:7 give all your worries and cares to God for he cares for you. Sometimes we forget that he cares enough for us that he will fix the problems even when it doesn't look like the problem is being fixed when we have stage four cancer and it just doesn't look like there's any hope. God is there with us when our spouse is sick or hurt, and there doesn't seem to be any hope. We can know that God cares for us and he is there with us. So it's okay not to have the words or the right words, sometimes just showing up, listening and praying is doing something. It may be more than we realize. So I'm just gonna challenge you today to let go of this idea like I've been feeling that we need to fix everything. Sometimes just being faithful in small ways. A call, a text, a prayer is way more important than doing some huge action that may actually not be helpful. We need to obey God's nudges even when they don't make sense at first. We may not have all the answers, but we know the one who does, and we need to lean into him, especially in those times when we don't know what else to do. This is a short episode because there's a lot going on and I just wanted to pop in. I truly was just feeling remorseful of all of the things that are going on around me that I'm not able to fix, and then I just was reminded by scripture that I don't have to, that's not my job. My job is to turn it over to God, to lean in and to trust him, to fix the problems, the challenges that are happening in our lives. It's okay to trust God when it doesn't feel like there's anything else that we can do. In fact, sometimes it takes more courage to stand back and let God reveal his plan in his timing than it does for us to rush in and try and fix it. I ask for God to give peace to anyone who's listening to this, who is struggling with their own issues, those challenges that they can't fix. And I just want them to remember that he is with us through all things, and he will bring good through all situations. And I just pray that God will give you the wisdom, the discernment. And the courage to respond to the nudges that he's giving you. This concludes season one of Courageous Retirement, and I am so grateful that you are here listening. I wanna take a short break, through the month of June and we'll be back, mid-July. And I encourage you to go back and listen to some of your favorite episodes. If you don't wanna stop listening, do that or hop over and listen to some episodes of Longing for More. There's so many messages in there that really, inspire me when I go back and listen to them, and I think they will you as well. I was just so encouraged when I read through A Different View and the message that God gave me there. So we're gonna come back and we're gonna pick up some of those messages and we're gonna talk about'em here. So I look forward to seeing you back here for season two of Courageous Retirement, and if this episode. Struck a chord with you. If there's someone who seems to be overwhelmed or just frustrated with their inability to help someone in need, I ask that you share this with them. Maybe it will give them the encouragement that they need. I encourage you to go embrace your faith, live your more and finish well in this beautiful season of courageous retirement. God bless.