Trusting God’s Hand

“But it doesn’t make sense!” Have you ever obeyed God…only to wonder if everything was falling apart? I used to think that following God would make life clearer, though not necessarily easier. But at least it’s more predictable. Instead, I’ve discovered that some of the seasons where I knew I was following Him most closely were also the seasons that made the least sense. It’s about trusting God’s hand when the story doesn’t make sense.

Deuteronomy 31:8

The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Chapter 7 of When Love Found Me is one of those seasons. Carmen and I had finally settled into Florida. Our home had become more than a home. It had become a place where strangers became friends and ordinary conversations became holy moments.

We thought we had arrived. Instead…The phone rang. And everything changed.

When Faith Requires Sacrifice

Proverbs 16:9

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Our business in Indiana was struggling. The leadership team needed help. Without intervention, years of work and the livelihoods of people we loved were hanging in the balance.

There wasn’t much to discuss. Carmen was the right person to go. That didn’t make it any easier. I’ll never forget sitting together on our couch the night before she left. Neither of us wanted this.

We had just begun building a new life. Now it felt as though part of that dream was being packed into a suitcase and flying back to Indiana.

The next morning, I hugged her at the airport and watched her disappear through security. As I walked back to my car, I remember thinking, “Lord…I thought we were finally where You wanted us.”

Looking back now, I realize something. Sometimes obedience doesn’t move us toward comfort. Sometimes it asks us to make a sacrifice we never expected.

Living in Two Worlds

Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.

For nearly six months, Carmen and I lived in different states. She spent her days trying to save a business. I spent mine coaching franchise owners, welcoming Airbnb guests, and trying to keep life moving forward in Florida.

At night, we’d catch up by phone. Sometimes we laughed. Sometimes we cried. Always, we prayed. It felt like we were living two completely different lives.

Have you ever been there? Where your body is in one place…But part of your heart is somewhere else?

• Maybe it’s a child who’s far away.
• A parent you’re caring for.
• Or a marriage under strain.
• Maybe a season where responsibilities pull you in opposite directions.

Those seasons can make us wonder where God is. Looking back, I see He was closer than we realized.

The God Who Was Already There

Proverbs 3:5–6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

As the weeks unfolded, something remarkable began to happen. Not because life became easier. But because God kept showing up in unexpected ways.

When I needed permission to work remotely to join Carmen in Indiana, my supervisor became my advocate. When I expected resistance, a door opened.

When we wondered what would happen to our Florida home while we were gone, one of our guests unexpectedly asked if he could rent the entire house for a year. We hadn’t advertised it. We hadn’t planned it. And we hadn’t even considered it.

Yet there it was. Another unexpected provision.

Then came an apartment at exactly the right time. A spare bedroom in our son Sebastian’s home. Provision after provision. Looking back now, I don’t remember the stress nearly as much as I remember the timing.

God never seemed early. He was never late. He simply kept arriving exactly when we needed Him.

Looking Back Changes Everything

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.

At the time, I thought we were trying to save a business. Now I realize God was doing much more than that. He was teaching us that our security wasn’t in a business. Or a paycheck. Or a plan.

Our security was in Him.

He was preparing us for seasons that were not even on our radar. Preparing us for:

• Château Mariposa.
• Ministry through hospitality.
• To coach leaders through uncertainty because I had lived it myself.
• To trust Him when the future couldn’t be seen.

None of that was obvious then. It only became clear when I looked backward. I’ve noticed something about God’s faithfulness. It often makes the most sense in the rearview mirror.

Where Is God Already Waiting?

Isaiah 30:21

Your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.

Maybe you’re in a season where life feels more confusing than clear. Perhaps you’re asking questions that don’t seem to have answers.

Why this delay or this hardship? Why this unexpected turn?

I’ve asked those questions too. But this chapter reminds me that while I was trying to figure out the next step… God had already gone ahead of me. He was preparing people, places, provisions, and most importantly, my heart.

Maybe He’s doing the same for you. God is in my story. He is in your story!

Challenge of the Week

Instead of asking, “Lord, why is this happening?” Ask, “Lord, where have You already gone ahead of me?” This week, take a few minutes to write down every piece of evidence of God’s quiet provision that you can remember. – a conversation, an unexpected opportunity, a person who appeared at just the right time, a door that opened when you thought it would stay closed, a prayer that was answered differently, but better than you expected.

You may discover that what once looked like coincidence now looks a lot like God’s orchestration. Because sometimes His greatest miracles aren’t the ones that remove the storm. They’re the ones that remind us He was already waiting on the other side. And if He has gone ahead of you…you can trust Him with the next step. So be it.

The series of posts leading up to this point in the journey:

• When Love Found Me – This is the introduction to it all –
• Before Love Found Me – God was pursuing me before I knew it.
• God at a Distance – I was looking in the wrong places.
• When God Broke In – God met me in my brokenness.
• After the Tears – Following Jesus became a shared journey.
• Packing Up Faith – Obedience required leaving the familiar.
• Making Room – God transformed our home into a place where others could encounter His love.