No More Wire Hangers…I Mean, What If’s

Confession: I have never seen the movie “Mommie Dearest” in its entirety, but I do know that one scene that became a pop culture reference.

You know the scene; where the mother finds the wire hangers in her daughter’s closet and starts screaming “No Wire Hangers, EVER!”

In a sense, it seems extreme to beat and push the child for hanging her dresses on wire hangers, but if you know anything about wire hangers, they have a tendency to rip and tear and destroy clothes when used frequently. They are not the strongest or the best. And the mother worked hard to give her daughter the best, so it feels like a slap in the face to the mother to do so much for her daughter and her appreciation is hung on something so cheap, flimsy and weak.

I wonder if God feel the same way when we hang our dreams, our visions and our desires that He has given to us on our wire hangers?

What are our wire hangers?

Those questions of “What If” that hold us back from pursuing all that God has for us, all that God placed inside of us to achieve, to dream, to aim for.

That one phrase “What If?” has put a stop payment on so many dreams and ideas and visions, because it invites fear into the conversation:

• What if I fail?
• What if I end up looking foolish?
• What if they reject me?
• What if no one likes what I have to say?
• What if…?

We’ve all had moments where we want to pursue a dream or a vision that God has given us, using the gifts He has placed in us, to fulfill a purpose that God has designed for us to fulfill on this earth.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

And we know and believe that all that God creates and crafts is good; He doesn’t do anything halfway or with half-hearted effort.

But when the question of “What If” comes up, it causes a pause in our steps and our confidence in what God can do, what He wants to do with us and through us. And, out of fear of experiencing and expecting the best, or because we don’t fully grasp the beauty of what God is gifting us with, we have up those dreams and desires on our wire hangers. And maybe God doesn’t physically beat us down, but I’m sure it dreams His heart to see us hang up something beautiful on something ratty.

Now, let me ask this “What If” question…WHAT IF WE TOOK OUR DREAMS OFF THE WIRE HANGERS?

Imagine if we didn’t allow our fears to hang up our dreams and visions, but we embraced everything that we believe God has for us to go for. Imagine if we tossed out the ratty wire hangers of “What If’s” that destroy our visions and dreams, that rip and tear apart everything that we believe is for us?

Imagine the lives we would live if the questions changed:

• What if I no longer lived in fear?
• What if I applied for that dream job?
• What if I decided to start that business?
• What if I wrote that book/poem/song?
• What if I asked that girl out?
• What if…I believed that God will be with me?

When that mother saw the wire hanger, she realized that her daughter (in her mind) didn’t appreciate the best that she had for her and treated it like it was something normal, average and mundane. Don’t we do the same to God when we toss aside the visions and dreams that He gives us? I’m sure He gets upset when He delay and deny the best that He has to offer us.

So, why don’t we stop giving up and tossing aside His best so easily. Let’s stop hanging up our lives on “What If’s” and let’s, instead, appreciate the gifts and visions and dreams of God and move forward with pride.

No More Wire Hangers…I Mean, What If’s!