Category: Reflections

  For much of my life, I expected my relationship with God to produce certain outcomes. If I prayed, trusted Him, and faithfully did what I believed He was asking me to do, then something circumstantially good would come from it (e.g., provision, healing, “open doors,” restored relationships, etc.).   When those prayers were answered,… Continue reading Reflections: Expecting Something Different

  For years, much of my prayer life centered around asking God to change something.   Heal this.   Provide this.   Restore this relationship.   Make this successful.   Open this door.     And when those things didn’t happen, I often interpreted the unchanged circumstance as God not acting, not answering, or not… Continue reading Reflections: When God Is Disappointing

  I’ve finally decided to embrace that some things in life don’t turn out the way I expected.   Some relationships fade. Others change, shifting from friendships to acquaintances. People I assumed understood our family’s dynamics and struggles have left us feeling uncared for and abandoned. Conversations I hoped would bring resolution have instead created… Continue reading Reflections: Releasing the Outcomes

  Over the past several months, I’ve had more difficult experiences and conversations than I can count.   Some conversations have gone better than I expected.   Others have gone exactly as badly as I feared — not because of the outcome, but because I froze, fumbled my words, or struggled to stay present.  … Continue reading Reflections: Staying Engaged