Trusting God Through Life’s Unexpected Challenges

Learning to Rely on God in Hard Seasons

By Renee Smith

Each of us encounters moments that catch us off guard. The phone rings and we receive news we didn’t anticipate. An important meeting takes a hard left turn. Our spouse starts an unwanted conversation. A routine trip to the doctor reveals something concerning. There are few “unexpecteds” in life that lead us to jump for joy—instead, unanticipated circumstances usually produce emotional turmoil. After the initial shock, we must make personal adjustments to navigate situations we didn’t foresee or desire.

When life changes in a blink, we rarely see our new reality to our benefit. The “opportunity” before us doesn’t feel like a gift—it feels like a storm cloud destined to deliver strong winds, floods, and lighting bolts. After all, acclimating to our new circumstances may be an arduous process that costs us dearly, and we may have done nothing to invite our shifting sands.