When I Didn’t See It Coming

If I’m being honest, there was a version of me not that long ago who felt stuck.

Not in a dramatic, everything-is-falling-apart kind of way. Not the kind of stuck that people easily notice or rush in to fix. It was quieter than that. Heavier. The kind you carry internally while still showing up for your life.

I was doing all the “right” things. I was praying. I was believing. I was trying to stay hopeful. From the outside, nothing looked off.

But on the inside, there was this lingering question:

Is anything actually changing?

My faith was still there—but if I’m honest, it didn’t always feel alive and energized. Some days, it felt like a decision more than a feeling. A choice I kept making, even when I didn’t see evidence right in front of me.

Maybe you’ve been in that place too.

The space where you trust God… but you also wrestle with the waiting.

Where you believe He has a plan… but you can’t quite see how your current situation fits into it.

A year ago, if someone had told me I would be preparing to speak at an event in Las Vegas, I would have smiled politely and thought, That’s kind… but that’s not my life.

Not because I doubted God’s ability to do big things—but because I struggled to see how He would do something like that through me.

I didn’t feel ready.

I didn’t feel qualified.

I didn’t feel like the kind of person opportunities like that happen to.

And yet… here I am.

And the truth is, I didn’t arrive here because I suddenly became more confident or more capable. I didn’t wake up one day with everything figured out.

I’m here because God is faithful.

Even in the seasons that feel slow.

Even in the moments that feel confusing.

Even when it seems like nothing is moving forward.

Especially then.

“The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made.” — Psalm 145:13

There were moments over this past year where I questioned everything.

Moments where doors closed and I didn’t understand why.

Moments where I felt overlooked or forgotten.

Moments where I quietly wondered if I had somehow misunderstood what God was calling me to.

I didn’t always say it out loud—but I felt it.

And what I couldn’t see at the time was this:

God wasn’t ignoring me.

He was preparing me.

Preparing my heart.

Preparing my perspective.

Preparing my faith to grow deeper roots—not just in what I could see, but in who He is.

Every quiet season carried purpose.

Every delay had intention.

Every “not yet” was shaping something in me that I couldn’t have developed any other way.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” — Isaiah 55:8

That’s the tension of faith, isn’t it?

We crave clarity, but God invites trust.

We want the full roadmap, but He offers the next step.

We want immediate answers, but He works in eternal perspective.

And if we’re not careful, we can mistake His silence for absence… when in reality, He’s working in ways we simply can’t see yet.

Looking back now, I can trace His hand through moments I once questioned.

The closed doors that redirected me.

The waiting seasons that strengthened me.

The quiet growth that I didn’t even realize was happening at the time.

Because His faithfulness has never depended on my awareness of it.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” — Hebrews 10:23

This opportunity to speak—it’s more than an event. More than a stage. More than a moment.

It’s a reminder.

A reminder that God sees you, even when you feel unseen.

A reminder that He is working behind the scenes, even when nothing looks different on the surface.

A reminder that no season—no matter how slow, confusing, or uncomfortable—is ever wasted.

Even when it feels like nothing is happening… something is.

Growth is happening.

Preparation is happening.

God is moving in ways you don’t yet understand.

And if I could sit across from the version of me from a year ago—the one who felt stuck, who kept showing up but quietly wondered if anything would shift—I would gently tell her:

Keep going.

Keep trusting.

Don’t give up in the middle of the story.

God is closer than you think.

And He is doing more than you can see.

Because the same God who was faithful then is faithful now.

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 1:6

So wherever you find yourself today—whether you’re waiting, stretching, healing, or stepping into something new—hold onto this truth:

Your story isn’t finished.

God is still writing it.

And what He’s building in your life may not look like what you expected—but it will be greater than anything you could have planned on your own.

As I walk into this weekend in Las Vegas, I’m not carrying all the answers. I’m not stepping in with everything perfectly figured out.

But I am walking in with something deeper than certainty.

Gratitude.

Trust.

And a renewed awareness that God’s goodness isn’t based on my understanding—it’s rooted in His character.

And He is so, so good.

My Prayer For You Today

God,

Thank You for Your faithfulness—even in the moments I don’t recognize it. Thank You for being steady when I feel uncertain, and present even when I feel alone.

Help me to trust You in the waiting, to believe in Your promises when I can’t yet see them, and to walk boldly into what You’re calling me to—even when it feels unexpected or uncomfortable.

Remind me that You are always working, always moving, always making a way—even when it’s behind the scenes.

Strengthen my faith when doubts creep in. Calm my heart when I feel overwhelmed. And anchor me in Your truth when my circumstances feel unclear.

Use my story, in whatever way You choose, for Your glory.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

With all my love,

Debbie 💕