When I was younger, I thought life would follow a pretty predictable timeline.
Graduate high school.
Go to college.
Get married.
Have children.
Possibly have a successful career outside the home.
Grow old surrounded by family.
Simple enough, right?
Well…life had other plans.
There have been seasons where I questioned why certain doors never opened. Times when I prayed with all my heart for something that seemed good, righteous, and perfectly aligned with what I thought God would want for me.
Yet the answer wasn’t what I expected.
Or maybe there wasn’t an answer at all.
If you’ve ever found yourself asking:
“Why isn’t my life turning out the way I planned?”
“Did I miss God’s will?”
“Am I doing something wrong?”
“Have I messed things up?
I want you to know you’re not alone.
I’ve asked those same questions.
For quite awhile, I thought trusting God meant waiting until I received a crystal-clear answer before making a decision.
Almost like I was standing at a crossroads waiting for Heaven to send me a detailed GPS route.
“Turn left.”
“Apply for this job.”
“Move here.”
“Go to this school.”
“Marry this person.”
“Switch jobs.”
But over the years, I’ve realized something that has changed the way I look at faith.
God usually doesn’t ask us to sit still until we’re certain.
“Faith without works is dead.” -James 2:26
Faith literally includes taking action.
He invites us to move forward with the light we’ve already been given.
Then He gently guides us as we go.
That realization changed everything for me.
I’ve also learned that trusting God isn’t just believing He has a plan for my life.
It’s learning to trust His character even when I don’t understand His timing.
There’s a big difference.
Because if my faith is only based on getting the outcomes I want, it’s going to crumble the first time life disappoints me.
But if my faith is rooted in who God is…
Then I can have peace even while I’m waiting.
When Life Doesn’t Go According to Plan
One of the hardest parts of being human is realizing we don’t get to control every outcome.
We can pray.
We can work hard.
We can make wise decisions.
We can seek God’s guidance.
And sometimes (okay, a lot of the time)…
Life still surprises us.
But here’s what I’ve learned along the way.
God’s Character Never Changes—Even When My Circumstances Do
One thing I come back to over and over again is this:
God doesn’t change.
Our circumstances do.
Our emotions do.
Our plans certainly do.
But His character remains the same.
The scriptures teach us that God is perfectly loving, perfectly just, perfectly merciful, and perfectly aware of each one of us.
When life feels uncertain, I remind myself of truths I already know.
I know He loves me.
I know He wants what’s ultimately best for me.
I know He sees the beginning from the end.
I know His understanding is infinitely greater than mine.
Those truths become my anchor when my feelings try to convince me otherwise.
There’s been times where I’ve thought something should happen.
I prayed about it.
I felt hopeful.
I moved forward.
Then the opportunity disappeared.
At first, I wondered if I had misunderstood God.
Did I make the wrong decision?
Did I somehow miss His will?
Looking back now, I realize something different happened.
God didn’t fail me.
Life simply unfolded differently than I expected.
Years later I can see how some of those closed doors protected me from paths that wouldn’t have led where I am today.
Others still don’t make complete sense.
And that’s okay.
I’ve stopped believing I need every answer before I can trust the One who already has them.
One of my favorite illustrations is of a little girl clutching a tiny teddy bear.
Jesus stands in front of her with His hand stretched out, asking her to trust Him.
She’s reluctant to let go because that little teddy bear is precious to her.
What she can’t see is that behind His back He’s holding a much larger teddy bear.
I’ve always loved that picture because it reminds me how often I cling to my own plans.
Not because they’re necessarily better.
Simply because they’re familiar and I like them.
God sees what I cannot.
Sometimes He’s asking us to release something good because He has something even better.
Other times, He’s simply asking us to trust Him through a season we don’t yet understand.
Either way, His character doesn’t change.
And that’s where my trust belongs.
Turning our will to align with His will always have the better outcome.
We Were Never Meant to Stop Living While Waiting for Answers
This is probably one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the last several years.
For a long time, I thought faith meant waiting.
Waiting until I knew exactly what God wanted.
Waiting until I received a clear answer.
Waiting until I felt completely certain.
But that’s not how I see faith anymore.
Faith is movement.
Think about almost every story in scripture.
Noah started building before the rain came.
Nephi began traveling before he knew exactly how everything would work out.
The brother of Jared built barges before knowing how they would be lit.
The pioneers packed their wagons without knowing exactly what they would find.
They acted on the light they had.
Then God gave them more.
I’ve experienced this in my own life with my business.
There have been countless times I’ve asked Heavenly Father which direction I should go.
Should I work for someone else again?
Should I focus on YouTube?
My blog?
Affiliate marketing?
Real estate?
Amazon Influencer?
Sometimes I hoped for a very clear answer.
Instead, what I often felt was something like:
“Keep moving.”
So I did. He trusts me (and He trusts you).
I wrote the blog post.
Recorded the video.
Applied for the opportunity.
Learned a new skill.
Some things worked.
Others didn’t.
But looking back, I can see God’s hand guiding me through the process—not because I waited until I knew every step, but because I was willing to take the next one.
It’s much easier to steer a moving ship than one anchored in the harbor.
I think that’s often how Heavenly Father works with us.
He invites us to move.
Then He gently redirects us as needed.
That realization has taken so much pressure off me.
I no longer feel like every decision has to be the “right” decision.
Instead, I focus on making the best decision I can with the light I’ve been given, trusting that God is more than capable of helping me adjust course if needed.
About a year ago my friends were asking me how things were going with my business, with the Amazon Influencer program and such. I remember telling them I felt like something larger was coming.
I didn’t know what it was, or when it would come, but something was coming.
Even today, I’m still not sure what it is. It could be this blog, which I started just a few months ago.
It could be getting back into YouTube.
Or it could still be something else.
But what I didn’t do was just sit around and wait for ‘it’ to come.
I’m still taking action. I bought my domain, I set up my hosting, started blogging.
I signed up for a YouTube coaching program.
I’m considering launching a new monthly program, maybe that’s it.
I really have no idea. It’s just a feeling I had and we will see what happens.
But what I’m not doing is just sitting around ‘hoping’ something amazing happens.
From looking back on my life and hearing others’ experiences, that’s not how God works, He co-creates with us.
We still have our desires, things we are passionate about and He doesn’t take those away, He guides us and course corrects us, but it’s still us He’s working with as we take the action and have Him in our corner.
God Gave Us Agency
One of the greatest gifts Heavenly Father has given us is agency.
Not just the ability to make choices, but the freedom to choose who we become.
Agency wasn’t an afterthought. It was part of His plan from the very beginning.
Sometimes I think we forget how much God values that gift.
If He wanted to control every decision we made, He could.
If He wanted to prevent every painful experience, He could.
But then agency wouldn’t really be agency and His plan wouldn’t be His plan anymore.
Love wouldn’t truly be love.
Obedience wouldn’t be a choice.
Growth wouldn’t be possible.
God doesn’t force us to choose Him. He invites us.
And because He honors our agency, He also honors everyone else’s.
That means people will sometimes make choices that hurt us.
People may break promises.
People may leave.
People may betray our trust.
People may reject us.
None of those things mean God stopped loving us.
They mean agency is real.
Have you ever wished you could make someone else choose differently?
Maybe you’ve wanted a family member to come back to church.
Maybe you’ve prayed for a friend to make healthier decisions.
Maybe you’ve wanted someone to forgive you.
Or maybe you’ve wanted someone to love you the way you loved them.
I’ve had moments like that too.
It’s hard watching someone make choices you know will lead to heartache.
But I’ve also realized something humbling.
Just as I wouldn’t want God to take away my agency, I can’t expect Him to take away someone else’s simply because their choices affect me or others.
God is preparing His people to become like Him and He can’t do that by taking away agency.
Sometimes We Mistake God’s Guidance for a Guaranteed Outcome
This is something I’ve thought about a lot.
Sometimes we receive spiritual impressions.
Sometimes we feel peace about taking a step forward.
Sometimes we believe God is guiding us toward something.
But guidance isn’t always the same thing as a guarantee.
Let’s say you meet someone wonderful.
You pray.
You feel good about getting to know them.
You begin to imagine a future together.
Maybe you even feel like this relationship has real potential.
Does that mean the other person will choose to marry you?
No. (I know it’s harsh, but we’re honest here on the blog.)
They still have their agency. They make their own choices.
God can guide your decisions without removing their freedom to choose.
The same principle applies in so many areas of life.
You may feel prompted to apply for a certain job.
That doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be hired.
You may feel inspired to apologize to someone.
They may still choose not to forgive you.
You may feel prompted to start a business.
It may take years before it succeeds.
You may feel inspired to share your testimony.
Someone else may choose not to listen.
Obedience doesn’t eliminate uncertainty.
It gives us peace while walking through it.
We don’t see the whole picture, but God does.
There have been times I’ve prayed about opportunities that genuinely felt right.
Some worked out beautifully.
Others didn’t.
For a while, I wondered if I’d misunderstood the answer.
Now I wonder if perhaps the purpose wasn’t the outcome at all.
Maybe God wanted me to grow.
Maybe He wanted me to meet someone.
Maybe He wanted me to learn a new skill.
Maybe He wanted me help someone in a different way.
Maybe the blessing was becoming the kind of person He knew I could become—not necessarily getting the exact result I was hoping for.
That perspective has brought me so much peace.
We Can’t Always Choose What Happens, But We Can Choose Our Response
One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is that faith doesn’t protect us from disappointment.
Faithful people still lose jobs.
Faithful people still experience heartbreak.
Faithful people still battle illness.
Faithful people still lose loved ones.
Faithful people still don’t have loved ones.
Jesus Himself taught that “He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good.”
Living a righteous life doesn’t exempt us from living in a fallen world.
Sometimes difficult things happen because of someone else’s choices.
Sometimes they’re the natural consequences of our own decisions.
Sometimes they’re simply part of mortality.
And sometimes…
We may never know why.
I used to think I needed an explanation before I could have peace.
Now I realize peace often comes before understanding.
When I stop asking,
“Why is this happening to me?”
and instead ask,
“Heavenly Father, what am I suppose to learn from this?”
everything changes.
Looking back over my life, there are situations I still don’t fully understand.
There are prayers that weren’t answered the way I hoped.
Dreams that didn’t unfold according to my timeline.
But I can also see how those experiences shaped me.
They taught me compassion.
Patience.
Humility.
Resilience.
They helped me help others.
They deepened my relationship with God in ways that comfort never could.
I wouldn’t have chosen those experiences.
But I wouldn’t trade what they taught me either (for the most part, I mean, I’m still human).
Remembering What I Have Been Given Already Strengthens My Faith
One thing I’ve started doing whenever I feel discouraged is focusing on blessings I’ve already been given.
I remember prayers that were answered.
I remember opportunities that came unexpectedly.
I remember doors that closed—and later realized they needed to.
I remember moments when I couldn’t see God’s hand until years later.
Those memories become evidence.
They remind me that God has kept His promises before.
So why would I believe He’s stopping now?
I’ve learned that faith isn’t pretending everything makes sense.
Faith is remembering enough of God’s goodness that you’re willing to trust Him with what doesn’t.
I think that’s why the scriptures so often tell us to remember.
Remember His miracles.
Remember His promises.
Remember His goodness.
Because remembering gives us courage to keep walking forward.
Practical Ways I Keep Trusting God When Life Feels Uncertain
Whenever I find myself slipping into worry or discouragement, these are the things I come back to:
- I remind myself of what I know instead of obsessing over what I don’t know.
- I keep moving instead of waiting for perfect certainty.
- I study the scriptures because they remind me who God is.
- I pray for guidance, then take the next wise step.
- I let go of trying to control other people’s choices.
- I write down the ways I’ve seen God’s hand in my life – practice gratitude.
- I trust that if I need to change direction, God knows how to guide me.
I’ve found that peace usually doesn’t come after every question is answered.
It comes while I’m faithfully walking with Him.
Trust Grows One Step at a Time
When I look back over my life, I can honestly say that God has never shown me the entire path.
Instead, He’s shown me enough to take the next step.
Sometimes that next step was exciting.
Other times it was uncomfortable (most often this).
But I’ve noticed something.
Every time I’ve been willing to move forward, God has met me there.
Not always before I acted.
Often because I acted.
I remember purchasing one of my properties.
I really wanted a particular house, I thought it would make a great rental.
But, I didn’t get it.
But, I was the backup offer on another place.
And, lo and behold, the real estate agent reached out to say the first offer fell through and asked if I was still interested in purchasing the property.
I was nervous about this one – it was a single family home. It didn’t have as many bedrooms as the other place.
I prayed about it. I prayed about it some more.
I felt good about moving forward, but I never got a ‘Yes.’
So I moved forward.
It was amazing to see all of these little pieces falling into place after I made the decision.
I ended up getting a lower interest rate, the current owners agreed to fix some of the things in the house and the list goes on.
The list goes on as far as me ending up selling my current place later on and moving into this single family home.
None of these things would have happened if I hadn’t moved forward with faith.
I think sometimes we picture Heavenly Father standing at the finish line waiting to tell us whether we’re on the right path.
Instead, I picture Him walking beside us.
As we take a step, He gently nudges us.
“Try this.”
“Slow down.”
“This door isn’t for you.”
“Keep going.”
That relationship feels much more personal than simply waiting for instructions.
Coming Back to the Teddy Bear
That little teddy bear illustration still comes back to my mind whenever I find myself holding too tightly to my own plans.
I think we’ve all been that little child at one time or another.
We cling to something because it’s all we can see.
A relationship.
A career.
A dream.
A timeline.
A version of life we imagined years ago.
Meanwhile, God lovingly asks us to trust Him.
Not because He’s trying to take something good away.
But because His perspective is infinitely greater than ours.
Sometimes He’s preparing something better.
Sometimes He’s protecting us from something we can’t see.
And sometimes He’s simply inviting us to become someone we couldn’t become any other way.
The truth is…
We don’t always know which one it is.
That’s why our trust can’t depend on understanding the reason.
It has to depend on knowing His character.
If your life doesn’t look the way you planned, I hope you know you’re not failing.
You haven’t missed God’s will.
You haven’t ruined His plan for your life because you made one imperfect decision.
Heavenly Father isn’t waiting for you to make every choice perfectly.
He’s inviting you into a relationship.
One where you pray.
Study.
Listen.
Move forward.
Learn.
Adjust.
And trust Him enough to keep walking.
One of the greatest gifts He’s given each of us is agency.
He won’t take that gift away—not from us and not from anyone else.
That means life will sometimes include heartbreak, disappointment, and unanswered questions. It’s okay to feel all the feelings.
It also means we have the opportunity to become more like Him through the choices we make.
Every single day, we get to choose faith over fear.
Hope over discouragement.
Action over paralysis.
Trust over certainty.
I’ve stopped asking God to show me every step before I move.
Instead, I ask Him to help me recognize His blessings as I go.
Because I’ve learned something I wish I’d understood years ago:
Trusting God isn’t waiting until you’re completely certain.
It’s taking the next faithful step with the light you’ve already been given, believing that if you need to change course, a loving Heavenly Father knows exactly how to guide you.
Life may never (okay, like 100% never) unfold exactly how we imagined.
Mine certainly hasn’t.
But if I’ve learned anything, it’s this:
I can trust the Author even when I don’t understand the chapter.
And somehow…
That’s enough.
If you loved this post, you’ll love these posts:
- Someone Asked If I Was in Love… Here’s the Real Reason I Was Glowing
- The 40s Glow-Up: 15 Ways to Upgrade Your Life This Decade
- Loving Yourself as You Are (While Still Wanting to Grow)
