I keep promising things I can’t really deliver.

That is SOOOO not like me!

I’ve always prided myself in my follow-through, but my life continues to be just.too.crowded. I keep thinking of the iconic scene in “I Love Lucy” where Lucy and Ethel were working in a chocolate factory and the speed is just too much to keep up with—causing a backlog {and mouthful/hat-full} of chocolate! I do LOVE chocolate, but seriously, this is a perfect example of too much of a good thing! {Click here to view Youtube clip, if you’d like!}

You see, last week I mentioned that I would share more about my experience at the Emotionally Healthy Conference today, but I’m finding some snags that are delaying this process. What’s new? ha!

So I’m sharing a list of the many ways that this past year has been the “Year of the Broken-down” in my life … {wait for it!} … to highlight a positive purpose!

Just some of the things that have broken or needed to be “fixed” in the last 12 months are …

1. Flooded basement in our “finished area” {Ugh!} due to our builder cutting corners on concrete tie-rods.
2. Landscaping in backyard ripped up in order to deal with flooding basement {double Ugh!}.
3. Broken-down hot water heater had to be replaced.
4. Broken-down dishwasher had to be replaced.
5. Broken-down stove had to be repaired.
6. Broken-down kitchen faucet was replaced.
7. Two broken-down toilets had to be repaired.
8. Various and sundry website issues {including, but not limited to a “broken feed” at one point} that continue to plague me and suck up my time.
9. My hubby’s beloved Charger had a fender-bender! <gasp!>
10. Broken-down A/C on our other car.
11. Broken-down vacuum cleaner as well as our carpet cleaner.
12. Broken-down refrigerator’s water dispenser lever was replaced.
13. Broken-down refrigerator hinge that’s led to …
14. Broken-down refrigerator door when I opened it on Saturday {my son’s graduation day of all days! … and yes, that’s it pictured above!}.
15. Breast cancer {that thankfully was “repaired” and God has blessed me with a great prognosis!}.
16. Bulging disc in my spine {that is thankfully being addressed very well by my physical therapist and pain doctor!}.

Please hear me that I am not complaining, although I have, at times, wondered if I’m being attacked by Satan!

But most of the time, I feel so very blessed, even in the midst of all of this trouble. And I fully expect that God will continue to take care of all of the incidentals that might break, crack, fall-off and otherwise become a wreck in our lives in the days ahead.

But all of this has me also wondering what God might be up to because of all of these broken-down challenges. I know that He is working to turn my “Year of the Broken-down” into the “Year of Brokenheartedness” for one.

After all, this brokenheartedness is a good thing! It is a purging of broken-down pride and fear. It is repairing of broken-down expectations and cluttered priorities. It is a reminder that …

Sometimes God uses brokenness in our lives like a sieve that sifts out what should stay and what should go!

What things have broken-down in your home, life or marriage lately?

What do you think God wants you to notice and change because of the “broken” challenges you’re facing?

I love writing and helping here at MM and don’t want to or intend to give it up! But I’m still trying to discern what must stay and what must be sacrificed or purged for the sake of the higher good

In addition to the repairs that need to be addressed in my life, I also feel God tugging at my heart to write books—or get back to the half-written manuscripts that have been shoved to the back burner. One of them will be a free e-book on forgiveness that I’ll be offering someday. But I won’t be able to do any of it, if I don’t make these hard choices and sacrifices.