When It No Longer Fits

This week we dug out the totes of summer clothes, and apparently we all decided to grow. At least my kids had a good reason: growth spurts. My 9-year-old especially shot up this year, which meant there were quite a few clothing items that technically could still work…but definitely did not fit.

Of course, that didn’t stop us from trying.

There was a lot of squeezing, tugging, and standing in front of the mirror saying, “Maybe this still works?” Spoiler alert: it did not. The clothes were too short, too tight, uncomfortable, and just looked awkward. As I watched her try to make those outfits work, I couldn’t help but think about how often I do the same thing in life.

Sometimes I try so hard to force things to fit simply because they used to.

We do it with friendships that have become unhealthy. We do it with schedules that leave us exhausted and overwhelmed. We do it with jobs, commitments, habits, and even expectations we’ve placed on ourselves. Instead of admitting something no longer fits the season we’re in, we keep stretching and squeezing and convincing ourselves we can make it work.

Now, I do think there are times God calls us into uncomfortable places. Growth is uncomfortable. Obedience is uncomfortable and even gross at times. Trusting Him when we cannot see what's next is uncomfortable. God stretches us because He’s strengthening our faith.

But there’s a difference between God stretching us and us stubbornly clinging to something He’s asking us to let go of.

I kept coming back to Jonah. God gave Jonah clear direction, but Jonah didn’t like the assignment, so he tried to force a different plan instead. He boarded a ship going the opposite direction because his own idea seemed better than God’s.

The problem was that nothing about Jonah’s plan fit.

The farther he ran, the more chaos followed. There was the storm, the fear, and eventually the realization that saying no to God was harder than obeying Him in the first place. Things only changed when Jonah finally surrendered and did what God had been telling him to do all along.

I think we live like that sometimes too. We exhaust ourselves trying to keep old things working when God is leading us somewhere new.

Maybe you’re currently trying to force life to fit. You keep maintaining a pace that leaves you exhausted. You keep pouring yourself into relationships that leave you empty. You keep trying to hold together routines, commitments, or expectations that no longer fit the season God has you in.

And maybe the reason it feels uncomfortable is because deep down you know it no longer fits.

Between the growth spurts and clothes that no longer fit, there’s been a lot of online shopping happening at our house. As normal as it feels to replace clothes that no longer fit, I realized I don’t always handle growth in my own life the same way. I hold onto old habits, fears, expectations, and ways of living long after they no longer fit who God is calling me to be.

Isaiah 43:19 says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

God may be doing a new thing, while we’re still trying to squeeze ourselves into what used to fit. Maybe He’s not asking us to try harder to make it work. Maybe He’s asking us to trust Him enough to let it go.

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Make Monday Matter Challenge

Pay attention this week to the areas of your life that feel forced, exhausting, or outgrown. Spend time praying about whether God is stretching you for growth or showing you that it’s time to let go of something that no longer fits.

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About Make Monday Matter

Make Monday Matter is my weekly devotional where I share reflections on faith, running, and the small ways God shows up in everyday life.