“Everything will be okay” - A Lesson in Faith

“Everything will be okay” – the words I heard from God at a time when things felt so uncertain. It was a season where I was feeling all the things at once: excitement, joy, fear, inadequacy, unprepared. Those words brought comfort and peace to my chaotic thought life. But I soon realized that my definition of “okay” and God’s definition were not the same. As I laid in bed in the ER, tubes coming out of me, and an ultrasound with no heartbeat, it felt the furthest from okay.

My first pregnancy had ended in loss. I was not okay.

How could this be God’s plan? He had to know that this would happen when he whispered those words to my heart just days before. How? Why? What now?

The day before finding out that I was pregnant, I wrote this verse in my prayer journal:

 “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b NIV

 I had no idea how true that statement would be over a month later. My husband and I entered into this phase of life knowing that we were in God’s will and seeking Him the whole way. So through my tears, sorrow, and grief, I held on to hope. God is consistent and He keeps His word, and I knew that could be trusted.

 “Everything will be okay” He said.

When things don’t turn out the way we thought they would.

When we misunderstand.

When tragedy strikes.

When life is great!

Have faith. And when in doubt, remember his promises! Scripture is such a gift at any time, but especially when we are struggling. God was faithful to Moses and gave him the courage to lead his people out of captivity. God was faithful to Ruth because of her faithfulness to her mother-in-law Naomi. God was faithful to Esther as she stood up for her people. God was faithful to Job, who suffered so much yet never wavered in his own personal faith. God was faithful to Paul, Stephen, and many of the disciples who were martyred for their belief in Him. And God was faithful to His Son Jesus by raising him from the dead.

As I looked back on my own faith journey, I realized how many ways (big and small) God was there and brought me through, just like He said He would. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2 ESV)

He was there when finances were tight and we somehow ended up in the black. He was there when we needed a new place to live and a guest house became available. He was there when he told me to rest instead of work. The Lord had brought us through those things and so much more, and so even though it was difficult to see it sometimes, I knew that faith in Jesus was the only way forward. And that is how I’ve tried to walk ever since that moment. I’m not always great at it, and I’ve had seasons of doubt, but faith is what has ultimately kept me going.

If you find yourself in a place of confusion, grief, frustration, the unknown – I am confident in telling you…

“Everything will be okay” because the Lord has created your path. Have faith and follow it.