Finding Peace in the Midst of Chaos

To say that this last week hasn’t gone as planned is an understatement. After a summer of finding various babysitters, working abnormal hours, and experiencing Texas’s heat wave, this week was supposed to be one that resembled some sense of normalcy. I thought that going back to work with (somewhat) regular hours and inching further into August would bring with it some routine. As usual, God had other plans.

On Sunday evening, we discovered that we had a water leak in our house. While the situation definitely could be much worse, we are displaced until we can get the plumbing work done. Wesley seems to enjoy the arrangement of staying with his Gigi and Papi, but this all adds another layer of chaos to my already out-of-routine life. I also broke my phone this week, which added to the stress of an already out of control week.

Chaos always seems to appear when we least expect it. It’s as if God responds to our need for routine and normalcy with a situation that requires us to need him more than our routines. Though this chaos has been heavy, and I’ve felt like crying a lot this week, I’m honestly doing pretty okay. I know that this situation is one that requires me to deepen my trust in God. It’s one that has shown me that chaos will always be present in this life, but we can still have peace and contentment in the midst of our chaos and mess.

We Can Still Have Peace

Have you ever found yourself in a situation like this one? We so often expect life to go a certain way, but then it gets messy. We long for certainty, but God continues to seemingly give us unknowns or multiple choices that we have to discern. And sometimes, life feels chaotic. Everything feels out of sorts. The chaos makes us become anxious, overthinking every part of our life. It also causes us to respond to our circumstances with annoyance, bitterness, and frustration.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can experience chaos and mess but still have peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). It is possible to have peace in the midst of our difficult days. We can respond in ways that are productive like allowing our circumstances to draw us closer to God and growing in faith. We can be content even when the world around us is falling apart… even when our world is falling apart.

How do we find peace and contentment in the midst of chaos, biblically?

Remember where peace comes from.

Micah 5:5 tells us that “he will be our peace,” referring to Jesus’ coming. This is a great hope to the Israelites who will be humbled by foreign powers, were exiled to Babylon, and were literally trampled by their enemies and were only a remnant. Paul also writes in Ephesians 2:14 that “He himself is our peace” in the way that he created unity, breaking down the wall of separation between humanity and God. 

Jesus himself is peace. Therefore, we can only truly experience peace by following Jesus. Just as the Israelites believed that the Messiah would be their peace when attacks came their way, we too can trust that Jesus will be our peace when we experience chaos in our daily life. He is where our peace comes from. It’s through him alone where we can gain peace that is beyond human comprehension.

Build your foundation on the Rock.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaims that those who hear his words and follow them will “be like a wise man (or woman) who builds their house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). When the rain comes and the wind blows, their house will remain standing because it is built on the Rock. Likewise, when the rain and winds of our life come to knock us down, we can stand firm because we have a strong foundation. 

When we build our foundation on Jesus, we can experience peace in chaos because we know that God has it all handled. Our heart isn’t easily swayed or discouraged. Where is your foundation? Is it built on the things of this world or on your expectations, status, or accomplishments? We often feel discontent because we are placing our hope on things that are not worthy. Only Jesus is worthy. Make sure that he is where your foundation is.

Live out of your Kingdom citizenship.

In Philippians 3, Paul writes about putting his confidence in Christ rather than the things of this world. He also writes about all that he has gained as loss compared to all that he gained in Christ. Paul’s reminder to the Philippians that although they were under Roman rule, their citizenship was in heaven is a reminder for us today too. Though we live on this earth, we are citizens of heaven. 

When we abide by the ways of this world, we experience tension because we were never meant to live that way. We were meant to live as Kingdom citizens, following the ways of Jesus. And as we already know, when we follow Jesus, we are invited into an all-encompassing peace in any circumstance.

Bring your concerns before God with prayer and thanksgiving.

Even by following these directives, we are still human. We will still experience frustration over our circumstances and be discontent with our lives at times. When our life feels chaotic, our immediate reaction is usually one of bitterness, confusion, or anger. But if we desire to have more peace in our life, we can turn to the One who is peace. 

Philippians 4:6 tells us to be anxious for nothing, but give our requests to God with thanksgiving. “Do not be anxious” is not an option, it’s a command. As Christ followers, we are meant to lean into God for every need rather than sitting in overthinking or anxious thoughts. 

When we bring our requests before God, we are to do it with joy and thankfulness for all that God has given, even if our circumstances are something we wouldn’t have chosen. Sometimes our prayers have to look like “I don’t understand, but I’m grateful for what you’ve given me” and that’s okay. Bring your requests before God, and watch how you are immediately filled with peace.

He Has A Plan

Even in this place of chaos and unknown, I trust that God has a plan for all of this. Sometimes that plan is just that we’ll lean further into him. It’s hard to let go, friend, believe me. But all I can do in this situation is give it over to God and believe that he’s working it out. That gives me peace to know that he’s in charge. We can experience peace and contentment in our mess. I hope you’ll join me in that restful place.

The Uphill Battles We Face

Summer afternoons in Texas aren’t usually times where I want to be outside. I would rather have all the AC, ice water, and snacks. Some days my two-year-old agrees with me. He looks out the window and says “hot outside.” He then wants to watch a movie (usually Frozen 2 or Zootopia) and eat fruit sacks or alphabet cookies. But some days he wants to endure the heat to play in his small plastic pool. As I drag the pool into the grass and begin to fill it with water, he collects the soccer balls scattered around the yard and moves his slide into the pool.

As Wesley slides down into the water (sometimes going down head first), I’m grateful for these moments with him. I’ve enjoyed seeing him grow older, become better at communicating his needs, and being able to entertain himself. Our time outside in the pool always makes him laugh, as he splashes and imitates songs and moves from his swim lessons. 

But even with all of the fun, he ends up feeling frustrated at some point. Why? Because he tries to climb up his slide rather than going around to take the stairs. He ends up sliding back down into the water every time, barely making any ground.

Uphill Battles

As I watched Wesley doing this a few days ago, it reminded me of the uphill battles we face at times as Christians. Sometimes we face uphill battles that God called us to walk. It’s like when I’m pushing Wesley in his stroller, but it’s a steep hill. It takes effort, endurance, and strength, some of which I have to rely on God for. These are difficult seasons and circumstances that God allows us to face so that we can grow. Oftentimes, they are entirely out of our control. They are struggles that are unexpected, but we are able to make progress and grow within them.

However, we also face uphill battles that are of our own making. Instead of discerning what God has for us or listening to him when he reveals himself to us, we try to go our own way. Like Wesley attempting and failing to climb up his slide, we fight against God’s intention for us. We attempt to control our situation so it works out how we want it to, not how God intends for it to work out.

Like Wesley and his slide, there’s a better way forward, and it’s the way that God intended for us. Instead of fighting battles that we were never called to fight, we need to go around and take the stairs. In other words, we need to stick with God’s plan for our life instead of our own. We have to stop attempting to go our own way and follow God’s way. Our uphill battles are meant to shape us, but they’ll only leave us frustrated if it’s not one that God has called us to endure.

Heart Check

Whenever I find myself feeling frustrated about something in my life, I have to do a heart check. Is this something I’m frustrated about because of unmet expectations, my need for control, or my pride being hurt? Am I trying to do something that God did not call me to do? Sometimes it’s none of these things and is entirely out of my control, which is a frustration I need to give to God. But these other things—they disrupt my peace. 

My need to be in charge and for things to go my way are the main cause of discontent in my life, and maybe in yours too. We all have expectations and dreams, but when they’re in line with God and what he has for us, that uphill battle will be one of growth because we are walking hand in hand with God. 

If you find yourself frustrated with an uphill battle today, I think it’s important to ask these two questions:

1. Is this uphill battle one that God has called me to walk? Or

2. Is this uphill battle one that I’m experiencing because I’m attempting to do things my way instead of God’s?

If your answer to number one is yes, then I’m grateful that you’re following God’s calling. It’s not always an easy road, but God will give us strength when our feet fail. He is doing a great work in you!

If your answer to number two is yes (even if it’s a hesitant yes or a yes that you aren’t quite ready to admit), consider finding the root of the struggle. What about your circumstances is causing you to attempt to do things on your own? Is it an unanswered prayer, a rejection, unmet expectations, or desire for a goal or dream? Maybe you’re chasing after something that only God can give you. Whatever it is, take some time to surrender that to God. Take the stairs, friend. Stop trying to climb that slide because it’s only disrupting your peace and your fun in the sun.

Learning the Lesson

After every failed attempt, Wesley locks eyes with me, willing me to help him climb that slide. But this mama was not going to budge. Sometimes as a parent, I have to allow my child to learn a lesson the hard way. I think God is like that too (I’ve come to appreciate these teachings much more as a mother). He gives us opportunities to change course and to realize that the decisions we are making aren’t really that helpful for us. He’s always watching and always present, but He often gives us space to learn the lesson on our own.

And Wesley finally did. He eventually got up out of the water, walked around the side of the pool, climbed up those stairs, and slid down into the water (head first, as always). As he splashed in the water, I thought to myself of the freedom and peace that comes with walking with God. Even if He calls me to walk paths I never wanted, I would rather cling to Him and find peace there than try to do things on my own. 

You see, our efforts will always fail if they are apart from God. Sometimes they’ll look like success. Maybe Wesley will eventually be able to climb to the top of that slide. He could sit at the top and cheer and be proud of himself. To be honest, I probably would be proud of him too. But I’ll always remind him that the better way is the way that God intended for us. 

So take the stairs, friend. It’ll be well worth it.

Living With a Spirit of Indifference

As the summer days drag on and I dig my feet into the rough, dry soil of this season, I’m reminded that none of this is a surprise to God. He gives and He takes away. He makes a way for me. Even though I’m in a season of much abundance, I still feel as though I’m waiting for a breakthrough. Following God is about trusting that he will water our souls and replenish us when our season feels dry or when we’re waiting for him to make a big move.

Over the last several months, I’ve taken on a spirit of indifference. In Ruth Haley Barton’s book, Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation, she discusses something called a “prayer for indifference”. This means praying to be indifferent to anything that is not God’s will. The questions she brings forth for this reflection are:

What needs to die in me in order for God’s will to come forth in my life?

Is there anything I need to set aside so that I can be open to what God wants?

We can utilize these questions to bring forth indifference in our lives, but we also can pray that God would reveal to us the answer to these questions and how exactly he wants us to respond. Barton says that “the movement toward indifference is the threshold between two worlds: the world of human decision making and the world of discerning the divine will.” So not only do we need to pray for indifference, but we also need to put on a spirit of indifference toward the things in our life that are not God’s will for us.

What is Indifference?

I believe that the word indifference can bring forth mixed reactions. But indifference is not a bad thing when we are indifferent to things we should be indifferent toward. I want to be indifferent toward the things that God did not intend for me. We should want to follow God wholeheartedly, putting off all that hinders our relationship with him and our decision making. 

I’ve begun living with a spirit of indifference which allows me to focus more on what God actually meant for me in my life and current season, rather than what I expected, hoped for, or wished that I had. Having a spirit of indifference also helps me to curb my temptation to compare myself to others. It reminds me that we are all walking different journeys. We should not compare our journey to those of others or step outside the lane that God is paving for us. 

Having a spirit of indifference also assists us as we long to discern God’s will. By praying that God would show us what needs to die in us—and being vulnerable enough to even pray that prayer—we are opening ourselves to the divine will of God. If we are open-handed and eager for what He has for us, even if it means we may face trials and hardship, we will be blessed abundantly and we will be able to stand firm in the face of those challenges.

Living with a Spirit of Indifference

I want to help you to also pray for indifference and put on a spirit of indifference toward the circumstances in your life. This one perspective shift has made such an impact in my life, and I know it can change yours too. Whatever season of life you’re in right now, I want you to know that God longs for you to be an active participant. He also longs for you to better embrace what comes your way because you trust that His will is better than yours.

Here are some suggestions for how you can live with a spirit of indifference:

Acknowledge how your own expectations, agenda, and need for control hinders your open-handedness toward the things of God and surrender them to him.

Pray for indifference toward the things that are not of God’s will for you.

Recognize the parts of your life that wish to be more in line with God’s will, and pray that God would help to either align them or prune them.

The Water Crossings of Life

David and I began our hike with our packs strapped tightly to our backs. Mine contained everything I would need for our overnight stay at our remote campsite: clothes, freeze dried food, two water bottles, a sleeping bag and pad, and a camping pillow. David’s pack carried our tent and his belongings. 

As we trekked along the trail, we came up on a water crossing. We had studied the map and knew that we would have to cross the river on the way to our campsite, so we came prepared with our waterproof hiking boots. We looked for the best way across, but even the best way across meant dipping our toes in the water at some points. There was no way across that left us entirely dry.

Water crossings along hikes always remind me of the difficult situations and seasons we face in life. Most times, our life is filled with the beauty of the trees and the sun beams falling through the openings in the leaves, but then we come up on the seemingly impassable. We face obstacles, challenges, and trials that seem impossible to get to the other side of. But in my 29 years of life, I’ve learned that there’s always a way across: even if it’s uncomfortable, unlikely, or downright unexpected. And we will never make it to the other side entirely unscathed.

My Own Water Crossing

My water crossings have been both deep and shallow. If you know me personally and know my story then you know that I’ve faced various challenges in my life. We all have from experiencing heartbreaks, loss, life changes, mental health struggles, and financial hardship. I’ve overcome obstacles, but it wasn’t always pretty or heroic. Sometimes it involved slipping on rocks and finding myself entirely submerged. For most of my life, my trials have gotten the best of me.

Over the last few years, I’ve made it a point to walk in the wilderness of life rather than through it. That was the whole premise of this blog I created nearly three years ago. I still feel the temptation to rush through the hardships and the challenges. Amid beginning a new job and living out of boxes as we begin our move into our new house, I’m feeling that pull toward wishing away where I’m at. It feels mundane and it also feels hard. It’s like standing on an unsteady rock in the middle of a rushing river. 

The water crossing I find myself facing today isn’t unbearable or impassable, but it’s certainly causing me to readjust my mindset and look for a better way across. It reminds me that I’m not in control as the current rushes toward me. Perhaps that’s what God intends for us as we face trials and challenges: He wants us to look for him in the midst of all of it and trust him to guide us across, for he’s the only one who can calm the wind and waves.

Facing Our Water Crossings

In the middle of the river with my hiking backpack, I found that there are three ways that we can face the water crossings in life:

1. We can come prepared for potential challenges in life.

2. We can utilize what we have in order to face them.

3. We can trust God to fill in the gaps.

We come prepared by remembering God’s truth in his Word and his promises to us. We hold firm to his truth and the truth of his character in being sovereign over all things and loving toward us. I often think of coming prepared as remembering things such as my waterproof hiking boots or first aid kit. It would be a lot harder to face literal water crossings and treks through the woods without them, just as it would be to face hardship without the truth of God’s word and character.

We utilize what we have by using our knowledge and prior experience to face trials head on. We remember all that God has done for us in the past and move forward from that knowledge. Just as a hiker uses makeshift tools to stay alive, we can use what we have to move forward in hardship.

We trust God to fill in the gaps when we fall short. Even if we lose our footing and what we thought was the best way across turns out to be more challenging than we thought, God gives us the strength and the wisdom to prevail, step by step.

Unexpected Beauty

As we reached the other side of the river, we immediately saw a cardinal gliding with the breeze, beauty we never would have seen if we hadn’t faced the water crossing head on. I believe that’s what God intends by allowing us to face trials in this life: to bring us closer to the beauty and goodness that we never would have experienced otherwise. He gives us glimpses into heaven and the glory that exists beyond this life. He carries us gently across the rough terrain so we may know Him and His goodness deeper than ever before.

Our water crossings – our trials and challenges – are not meant to hinder us; they are meant to bring us closer to God and closer to the person of Jesus. As we face our inevitable hardships in this life, let’s put on our waterproof hiking boots, step carefully along the rocks, and trust that God has our back in the middle of the river. He’s right there, our perfect Trail Guide.

Why Does God Give Us Hard Seasons?

As the most difficult season of my life raged on, I attempted to stay afloat white-knuckled and desperate for God to draw this time to an end. All I saw was darkness around me, and I was overcome with my emotions of grief and hopelessness. I didn’t see any way out. Why would God give me a season so riddled with pain and intense hardship?

We’ve all experienced seasons of life where we struggle to keep our footing. Our circumstances are overwhelmingly painful and difficult to face. Overcome by grief and heartache, we are barely surviving. Whether we are experiencing loss, tragedy, doubt, or all the above, we find ourselves wondering why a loving, good God would allow us to experience such heartbreak. We wonder why we experience difficult seasons at all.

As I look back on my life, I can see the multiple places where I’ve asked this question. These were the places where I saw no path forward, was in the pit of depression, and was nursing my wounds. I wanted to experience the peace and kindness of God, not the pain that comes from this world’s ways. I came to the conclusion that if God was all powerful and all knowing then my hardships and seasons of utter darkness had to mean something. There had to be a purpose behind them, and while I knew that I would not gain black and white answers from God, I knew he would answer me in some way.

Suffering as Christ Did

God did not promise us a pain-free life. He did not guarantee that we would walk this life unscathed. He also did not promise that we would be free from all hardship, challenge, and difficulty. So why do we act like He did?

So many of us (myself included) live our lives almost surprised when we face trials or angry with God when we experience difficulty. I think it’s a natural human reaction to feel these things, but we have to remember that our lives in this world will not be free from suffering. This is especially true if we are living our lives for God.

The Bible tells us that if we follow Christ we will suffer as he did (Romans 8:17, 2 Cor. 1:5, Philippians 1:29). It’s sort of a non-negotiable for Christians that our lives will include some suffering because Jesus suffered too. His people rejected Him. They didn’t recognize who He was. He was humiliated and killed. But His suffering was the ultimate suffering—dying on a cross for you and me.

That’s not to say that our suffering is not as important. It certainly is because it impacts the ways in which we live, connect with others, and connect with God. But we have to remember that Jesus paid the ultimate price. Our suffering comes with living for Him. And it’s what we do with our difficult seasons that really matters. 

How do we live out our difficult seasons knowing that our suffering has purpose? And after all, why does God give us those seasons to begin with?

Why?

I would like to preface this by saying that I acknowledge that I do not have all the answers. I simply have hope and confidence in a God that has divine purpose for all that he allows within this world. 

My belief in God is strongly followed by a belief that he works out all things for our good, but that does not mean that what is good for us will be all rainbows and butterflies. When I say that I believe that He works all things out for our good I mean that the good He sees for us may include some challenges and trials because it will only grow us into Christlikeness. It will shape us into the people He wants us to become. It will form us into people that are more reliant on Him and more resilient as we come upon future hardship. 

God’s idea of what is best for us looks nothing like what we think is best for us. And looking back on my life and decisions I made and things that I thought were what I wanted, I am so thankful that God knows better than I do. He has protected me so much, but He has also called me to walk through the fire to protect me from myself.

So, to answer the question “why does God give us hard seasons?”, here is the answer I have come up with from my own personal experiences and directly from Scripture.

God gives us hard seasons to:

1. Draw us closer to God

2. Teach us a lesson we wouldn’t learn otherwise*

3. Give us an opportunity to deepen our trust in God

4. Help us build endurance of faith (Romans 5:3)

5. Cause us to rely on God’s strength instead of our own (2 Corinthians 1:10)

6. Teach us humility (the entire book of Job)

7. Spur us on toward Christlikeness/To grow us (James 1:2-4)

8. Build resilience in our spiritual walk

Ultimately, God allows us to experience difficult seasons because it is for our betterment and for his glory. And while we will not always have the answers or see the fruit on this side of heaven, I still believe that God is the ultimate way maker. He is making good out of our most difficult circumstances and our in our darkest seasons.

If you are facing a difficult season today, know that God is with you right where you stand. He is working on your behalf. Allow Him to carry you during this season and trust that He is making a way.

_______

*I want to be very clear that I do not believe that the only reason we experience suffering is to learn a lesson from God. God does not “teach us a lesson” as a punishment from an angry God. The lessons we learn are how to rely on God’s strength, build endurance, etc. For example, in 2 Cor. 12:7-10, Paul asks to be delivered from his suffering, but God is teaching him a lesson in relying on His strength, which Paul does in his suffering. This is what I mean by learning a lesson through our difficult seasons. This article explains my line of thinking about this idea very well.

Finding Goodness Within the Hardships of Life

I used to run wild within my life. When life felt too hard I either retreated inward, was filled with nostalgia for the past, or I longed for the future. I avoided challenges by running. I thought that by wishing away where I was and finding anything in this world to fulfill me that I would come out on the other side unscathed. But all I found was that I was empty inside. My tendency to both sail and avoid hardship only hurt me in the long run, and I dragged other people down with me. 

The song This Will End by The Oh Hellos says it well: 

“No, I am not afraid to die. It’s every breath that comes before. Heartache, I’ve heard, is part of life, and I have broken more and more.”

It wasn’t until well into my adult life that I realized that my lifestyle was only causing pain for myself and others. I was caught in a vicious cycle of wishing away my life for something better. But running wild never seemed to fix my longing for more; it only left me even more broken and wanting. I had learned the hard way that my challenges were meant to be lived. They were not something to escape from—they were opportunities to experience God more and to grow as a person. I found that there was purpose in my challenging circumstances, and I discovered a new longing: to find the goodness and purpose within the hardships of life.

Purpose In Hardship

We all will come across challenges in life; it’s simply part of the human experience. We will face hardships, obstacles, and heartaches. Our hearts will break time and time again, and sometimes, we’ll be the ones doing the breaking. We are not immune from hardship. But it’s how we handle the challenges of life that show our character and our depth of faith. 

It may not feel like it, but I believe that there is purpose in every hardship that we will encounter on our faith journey. Scripture points toward a God who keeps his promises, is above all things, and allows suffering if it brings him glory and shapes us into christlikeness. We see divine hope in words of Scripture teaching us that God has a plan for all things. He is intentional in His very trinitarian nature, His creation of us, and the story for all of humanity. 

Over thousands of years God kept his people Israel in mind. He allowed them to walk in wilderness, live in captivity, and wait for hundreds of years for their savior to arrive. Many of their struggles were due to their own disobedience and hunger for other gods, but God would not have allowed it if he did not think it would draw them closer to him and closer to glory. 

If God was intentional in these ways toward Israel, why don’t we believe that he is intentional in this way toward us? His goodness shines through His intention and love toward us. We may never see the reasons for hardship on this side of eternity, but we must hold onto hope that there is a purpose in our suffering. If there is no other reason I can see, I believe that it must be for my good and for God’s glory in some way, shape, or form. God can use anything for good.

Finding Goodness Within Hardship

So the question remains: How do we find goodness within hardship? And how do we embrace the trials in our lives so we can learn the lessons God is intending for us?

First, we hold onto hope that God works out of good intentions.

In God’s very character he is good, loving, and just. He is gracious toward us and is quick to forgive. While parts of Scripture portray God as angry or punishing, we have to remember that the things that anger him must anger us as well. God’s anger is justified. Of course God would be angry over the things that draw us away from him. He holds righteous anger over the evil forces in this world because they do not tell the truth about Him, His word, or about His people. 

From the beginning of time, God’s intentions toward humanity have always been good. But we have to remember as well that good does not mean a life without pain. Because there is sin in this world, there will be troubles. The enemy is actively trying to destroy what God has created and deemed beautiful. However, God being sovereign and powerful, our troubles can be used for goodness and beauty. We can still have a good life and one that is painful at times. It is not either, or. It’s both, and. Besides, how would we know true joy if we did not also know heartbreak?

Next, we remember the promises of Scripture.

Scripture points toward a God who keeps his promises. From Abraham, to Joseph, to Israel as a nation, God did what he said he would do. But when we look at these examples, we can see that each of them came with their own struggles and hardships.

Abraham had to wait many years before he had a child with his beloved wife. 

Joseph had to endure years of slavery and imprisonment before he saw the fruit of his difficult situation.

Israel walked in wilderness, lived in captivity, and waited years for the Messiah.

But God.

He always came through in the end, didn’t He? Then how true is it that He will come through for us today? It may not look like our timeline or by our agenda or by our idea of how things will go. But God will always keep his promise to us: He has the final say. The victory is already won.

Lastly, we trust God in our hardship.

I ultimately think that how we live out hardship is dependent not necessarily on our endurance or our faith, but on what we believe about God. Do we believe that God is good? Do we believe that He allows us to suffer for his glory? Or do we believe that God is not always good and he causes our suffering? Do we believe that everything happens for a reason even if we will never know the reason? Or do we think that everything in this life—including our struggles—serve no purpose and just happen by coincidence?

It’s easy for me to trust God in the midst of hardship because I believe that he allows me to suffer because he has a greater plan in mind. I believe that everything happens for a reason. Regardless of if that means I am naive or not, it gives me tremendous hope to live out my faith journey. Perhaps my naivety gives me this hope, but it is a strong hope in the goodness of life at that. We have to trust that a good God is at the center of all things if we want to live this life fully.

The Detours of Life: Embracing God’s Redirection

As Wesley and I roamed the grounds of our apartment complex, he spotted an area toward the back fence lined with rocks. He pointed excitedly, exclaiming “rock” or in his words, “wock.” He started walking with one goal in mind: reaching the rock garden. But right in front of it lay an obstacle that his little eyes didn’t see. Mud filled the expanse between us and the rocks. 

I attempted to lead Wesley around the mud, but he fought me, assuming that I was stopping him from getting to where his heart was set upon. Scooping him up into my arms, I carried him around the mess. Once I placed him back down right next to the rock path, he realized that I was only trying to help him. I was redirecting him so he could avoid a mess and reach his destination unscathed.

God often works this way in our faith journey. He redirects out of love and care for us. But we are so much like Wesley in this situation, aren’t we? When God is leading us a different way than we want or expect, we fight against him. We often have our eyes set on a goal or a desire, and when we feel like God is taking us the long way around or leading us somewhere else completely, we grumble or lose hope. But we have to remember the big picture:

God is redirecting us because he can see all the things we can’t.

God knows our hearts and sees the temptations that we easily fall into. He sees the things that will hurt us if He doesn’t intervene. What often seems like a dead end or a long way round is simply a divine detour leading us toward a greater destination in a more fulfilling way.

God’s Redirection

Sometimes I like to think about what life would be like if I was in charge. If I had all the things I wanted throughout my life, would I truly be happy? Would my life be fulfilling or still be glorifying God? But when I remember all the things that God has removed from my life and replaced with something better, I’m so thankful that I’m not in charge. If I had all of those things I pined for years ago, I would not be the person I am today. I would not be living a life of godliness, nor would I be anywhere near the person I want to be.

Remembering all the ways that God has redirected me gives me hope when I’m in places of uncertainty or longing. It gives me a sense of gratitude that God knows what is best for us.

God redirects us so that we don’t fall into sin and aren’t easily tempted.

He takes away those temptations by completely removing whatever it is that is tempting us from our lives.

God redirects us so that we can experience something better than what we imagined.

Our human minds can only see and imagine so much. What we see as what we need or envision for our lives is so finite and small to what God sees. His redirection brings us to places we never even imagined for ourselves, and those places are so sweet.

God redirects us because we still have something to learn and experience within the detour.

Sometimes God makes us take the long way around because he has more to show us.

God redirects by taking things away so that we can live lives that are more glorifying to him and so he can bless us beyond measure.

God takes away jobs, relationships, people, opportunities, etc. so that he can provide something even better. He does not take away to be cruel or hardhearted. Rather, He takes away because He always has something better in mind.

And sometimes God redirects us by allowing us to face hardship because He knows that it will only grow us in the long run.

Sometimes God lets us step in the mud because there is a lesson to be learned there. He allows us the fleshly desires of our hearts at times because it will turn us toward Him. And He allows trials and challenges if He is certain that there is growth that will happen within it.

Embracing the Redirection

Learning to embrace times of redirection is certainly easier said than done. It’s easy enough for me to say that God’s redirection has blessed my life, but it didn’t feel that way while I was in the middle of it. I fought God hard. I wandered throughout my life as a stranger, always wishing away my circumstances for something better. The detour felt like a curse, not a blessing. 

But when we remember that God’s redirection is for our good, we can embrace our redirection and live wholly within it. We can embrace the redirections in life by:

Trusting that God’s plan is better than ours

It’s so comforting to believe that God knows a better way. He is guiding us with a gentle hand toward blessings and grace. His redirection is proof that He knows better. Let’s trust that His plan will always be greater than ours. 

Allowing His redirection instead of fighting it

I’ve spent so much of my life fighting with God, as if my wrestling and bargaining would ever change his mind. It was only when I allowed His plan to be the plan instead of fighting Him that I found beauty in the detours of life. It was at that point that I could start working with Him instead of against Him. There has been so much fruit in that work.

Accepting all that the detour has to offer

The redirections in life often teach us greater lessons that we would have learned otherwise. They also provide beauty and goodness that we wouldn’t have seen. There is so much that the detour has to offer. Keep your eyes open and embrace all that it entails.

Purpose in the Detour

After Wesley finished playing with the rocks, he went over to a hill covered in fallen leaves. As he threw them in the air and ran up and down the hill, his laughter overtook him. He sat in the fallen leaves entirely enamored with the scene and situation. He continued to laugh, joy filling his face. 

I’ve decided that I never want to forget all of life’s detours that led me to this moment. God’s divine redirection has led me to this moment, this season, this time in my life. I thank God that he didn’t give me what I thought I wanted years ago because I wouldn’t have all of this. God is so good and kind to us in his leading and provision.

If you find yourself in a place of redirection, remember that while it may feel like the long way around, there is purpose in the detour. God’s guidance is filled with goodness and gentle shepherding. He is leading you toward something greater than you could ever dream on your own. Embrace it all wholeheartedly.