Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop
- Amy Loflin
- May 26
- 2 min read
There’s an old phrase we use when we’re bracing for something bad to happen: waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The expression comes from crowded apartment buildings decades ago. Late at night, tenants would hear their upstairs neighbor drop one shoe onto the floor. Then they would lie awake, tense and expectant, waiting for the second one to hit.
I think this describes the emotional state for many of us. We are quietly waiting for the next thing to go wrong.
The next diagnosis.
The next phone call.
The next heartbreak.
The next disappointment.
The next loss.
Years after losing my mom unexpectedly, I began realizing how deeply that fear had shaped me without my awareness.
It impacted my relationships and how I moved through the world. Somewhere along the way, I had unknowingly built walls of self-protection around my heart.
Because fear has a way of whispering:
Don’t get too comfortable.
Don’t love too deeply.
Don’t fully relax.
Something bad could happen again.
And while those walls may feel protective at first, eventually they become prisons.
I think many of us are living in a constant state of emotional bracing without even realizing it. Our nervous systems are exhausted from carrying tomorrow’s fears before tomorrow ever arrives.
What’s difficult is that fear disguises itself in a variety of forms: Control. Overthinking. Perfectionism. Emotional distance. The need to prepare for every possible outcome.
But the truth is, love always carries risk. A deep connection always requires vulnerability. And no amount of fear can guarantee we won’t experience pain again.
But fear can keep us from experiencing the fullness of joy, intimacy, peace, and presence that God longs for us to live with today.
Healing is not pretending that painful things will never happen again. It’s slowly teaching our hearts and nervous systems that even when they do, God will still be present.
So perhaps freedom begins the moment we stop waiting for the other shoe to drop…and start becoming more aware of God’s steady presence, come what may.
I recently had a deeply honest conversation with Courtney Doyle on The Mom Show about grief, fear, motherhood, emotional self-protection, and learning to live more fully present again. Check out the full episode, links below.
Reflections
What thoughts, emotions, or revelations did this content stir in you?
As you build self-awareness of how fear has shaped you, what is one step you can take as a response?
“Fear tells us to brace for impact. Love invites us to stay present.” — Morgan Harper Nichols
The MOM Show Podcast
If you've ever felt like you're waiting for the other shoe to drop… If fear has kept you from being fully present… Or if you've experienced loss that still lingers…
This episode will meet you right where you are—and point you back to freedom in Christ.
