There are seasons when life and faith don’t seem to agree. Life throws curveballs you didn’t see coming, and faith asks you to believe anyway. You pray for one outcome, but life delivers something else entirely. It’s frustrating. It’s confusing. And if I’m being honest, it’s exhausting.
But in those moments—the ones where life and faith feel like they’re contradicting each other—I’ve learned to rely on my faith. Not because I always feel spiritual or because I always have perfect trust, but because life is unpredictable, and my faith is grounded.
The Reality of Unpredictable Life
Life doesn’t follow a script. Relationships can fall apart, prayers can seem to hit the ceiling, and unexpected grief can knock the wind out of you. I wrote about this in Why Preparing for Yourself Matters More Than Praying for Marriage—because life doesn’t guarantee the outcomes we hope for. You can do all the “right” things and still end up in a season you never prayed for. Life is unpredictable.
But here’s what I hold on to: my faith is not anchored in outcomes. It’s anchored in God. And God doesn’t change.
Trusting When Prayers Feel Unfinished
There have been plenty of prayers I’ve prayed that are still hanging in the air. Prayers for healing, clarity, peace. Some of them still feel unfinished. I talked about this in Unfinished Prayers: How to Trust God When Answers Don’t Come Quickly—the waiting is hard, but it’s in the waiting that faith is tested and stretched.
Faith doesn’t mean I always get what I want. It means I trust that God is still writing the story, even when the chapters make no sense to me.
When Trauma and Uncertainty Test Your Faith
If you’ve lived long enough, you know trauma and faith often cross paths. I wrote about that in How to Trust God in the Midst of Trauma and Uncertainty. That post wasn’t theoretical for me—it was personal. I’ve lived through loss, heartbreak, and unexpected changes. And in those moments, I didn’t always feel my faith. But faith is not a feeling; it’s a decision.
Faith says, “Even when I don’t understand, I trust You.” Faith says, “Even if life breaks my heart, I’ll believe You can heal it.”
A Father’s Lesson in Faith and Life
One of the most unexpected places I’ve learned this was through my relationship with my dad. In When Dad Becomes Your Best Friend, I shared how time and experience shifted my perspective on my father. Life taught me one version of him, but faith allowed me to see another. Life said our relationship was strained; faith said there was still room for healing. Life said time had run out; faith said God can restore what was broken.
Faith gave me the courage to believe in change—to believe healing could come, even after years of misunderstanding.
Why I Lean on My Faith
So, why do I rely on my faith when life and faith feel like they’re arguing? Because life is unstable, unpredictable, and sometimes unfair. But faith reminds me that God is none of those things. Faith anchors me when life tries to knock me over.
Life says, “This is too much.”
Faith says, “God’s grace is enough.”
Life says, “This will never get better.”
Faith says, “God makes all things new.”
Life says, “You’re alone in this.”
Faith says, “God will never leave you.”
Life will always change—but God won’t. That’s why my faith is my anchor.
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