You Can Fix Anything

I was recently talking with a friend and he said, “I’ve learned that you can fix anything.” I think we were talking about something related to fixing things in the house. And he’s right. Between YouTube and Google, you can find DIY instructions for anything. Now the execution may be a different story, but you can at least find the know-how.

A few days later, my daughter and I were reflecting on all the changes that have happened in our lives over the past eight years. Some ups, but a lot of downs; and some of them really deep downs. Two years ago, I had to declare a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The debt was crushing and it was keeping me tied to a relationship that was slowly stripping away my soul. I calculated my monthly expenses and figured out how much I would need to save to make it for eight months, hoping that would give me enough time to get a handle on my finances and figure out a more affordable living situation. I got so close, so close I could taste it, smell it, even touch it with the very tips of my fingers - but then my husband’s contract ended and he was unemployed for at least seven months, draining my savings away to almost nothing. I was devastated.

I had a friend who kept encouraging me to leave this toxic relationship and I would always tell her, “I need to save; I need to prepare”. And she would say, “Just do it, the rest will figure itself out, it always does.” No, too much was at stake, I needed a plan. One day, we had an argument and I decided in the spur of the moment to ask him to leave. No plan, no security, no savings. The only option I had left myself was to declare bankruptcy. What a pride swallowing siege. But if that was the price I would have to pay to find peace and myself - if that was what it took, then so be it. Fair or not, smart or not, responsible or not, it was my ticket to freedom and I was taking it; for myself and my kids, I was taking it.

This month, five months earlier than I had originally planned, my bankruptcy will be paid off in full and I will be discharged from my bankruptcy. In the last 25 months I have lived without accruing any additional debt - only my mortgage and my car - and saved half of my original goal. What an incredible feeling. There were times I had to reach out for help, times when we stretched a dollar so thin you could see through it, and times I heartbreakingly had to tell my kids I couldn’t afford an extracurricular activity they wanted to be a part of. But we did it. By the grace of God, we did it.

And as Grace and I talked about being able to fix anything, I realized the wisdom in those words. You can fix anything. Anything. A broken heart. An injured soul. A costly mistake. You can fix anything. With love and grace, a little courage and fortitude, hope and blind faith, you can fix anything. So don’t give up. Don’t listen to haters and doubters, especially if they are the voices in your own head. If they tell you you can’t, they’re wrong.

Because you can fix anything. Anything.

Comments

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