Has Life Surprised You?Sample

You Can Trust God

Has life surprised you? Not been what you expected? Have you ever thought, “How did I get here?” I think it’s happened to all of us. I know it’s happened to me! When my first husband and I were 37 years old, he went to bed before me on New Year’s night 1997 and he died. He hadn’t even been sick. Talk about an unexpected surprise! And not the good kind.

We were pastors of a church in Boise, Idaho, and after he died I took over pastoring and raising our 12- and 13-year-old sons on my own. I never expected to be a single parent, and I certainly never expected to be a pastor by myself!

It was one of the worst times of my life – but it was also one of the best times, because I pressed into God like never before. I spent hours reading His Word because I had to have it. I needed His wisdom, His comfort, His power, His direction like never before. And I found out He’s a very present help in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1) I had known God for many years, but it was during that time that I fell deeply in love with Him.

And I found out just how trustworthy He is. He is so faithful. And He knows how to help you get through trouble and help you thrive.

After I had pastored the church for about four years, the Lord began to deal with me about moving back to Tulsa, Oklahoma. That wasn’t what I expected either, and I didn’t want to go! I didn’t want to leave the Northwest again for the flat, hot Midwest. I didn’t want to move away from my natural family and my wonderful church family.

I also didn’t want to go backward in my life. I’d been in full-time ministry for more than 15 years, and I just didn’t see how moving back to Oklahoma would be a promotion.

But God kept nudging me. Have you noticed that when something is His idea, it sticks around? You can ignore Him for a while, or even try running away from Him, but He just keeps bringing you back to His plan – even if it’s different than you expected. You can trust Him.