A Prayer for Confidence in God's Plan through Uncertain Circumstances
By Keri Eichberger
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;” - Jeremiah 1:5
It was clear this was the summer. I would finally be the mom my kids needed. I’d felt MIA last year in full-on book launch mode, and almost sure I fit the description of absentee mom the prior full three months they were home while head-down writing my manuscript. But this summer, I would be all theirs. No more mom guilt here. And as sure as I was about my ministry call to write for God’s glory five years ago, I knew first and foremost that God blessed me with the gift of being a wife and then a mom to five pretty awesome kids. They all needed me, deserved me, and besides, this was the summer before my oldest’s senior year of high school (cue the tears). I was ready, and it brought joy to my heart at the mere thought of leaning into God’s nudge to more deeply embrace my people. I had a handful of devotions I’d committed to write, but other than that, no work. Just love, serve, and be present with the fam.
But…
A few days into living up to my self-defined mom-wife “A” game, unease and disappointment began to seep into the recesses of my recently certain soul. And it swelled quickly. Was this the beginning of the end of my writing career? The passion I’d poured years into with great confidence I was exactly where God wanted me. I had slowed down the past six-ish months already, and now I was sensing a near-complete halt. Was I launching into my new normal? Did God only call me for a short season, and now I needed to surrender the old to the new? I didn’t want that to be true. At all.
Logic might say… Why so quick to draw such major conclusions based on a week of doing something else of great purpose? It’s just one summer. Or… So what if this lasts a few more years? You’ll have decades after to do other work for the Lord when the kids are gone. Just hang where God has you, hang tight with him, and be happy. And yes, this makes sense. I hardly had good reason to lose heart and hope. But the reality was that the uncertainty of my future really had me shaken.
Have you ever been in a season or set of circumstances where you lacked confidence in the future? Unsettled and longing to know that the plan ahead was good and that everything you spent your moments on through the uncertain days was on the path to God’s best plan? Do you wonder that right now? Maybe you’re in a job or with a company you’re unsure is the best fit for your ability and gifting. Or you’re serving at church, school, or a non-profit in a capacity that feels a bit much or slightly off what you thought God called you to. Or, possibly, you’re spending loads of time with your kids but aren’t sure if you should be investing a little more in a ministry, your spouse, your health, aging parents, or friends who need you.
Me too. I feel uncertain about the future, too. And looking back, I’ve been here so many times. Questioning if where I am is precisely where God wants me. And will truly lead me to his best. But here’s what I needed to remember. I’ve prayed consistently, every morning at length and then some, for God to lead and guide me. I hope you’re doing or will begin doing the same. And if we are asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit, he is and will freely fuel us with it. So we can trust where we are and continue with confidence.
I believe God will redeem all the callings he’s cast over our lives. But even if the unfolding doesn’t match our timeline and exact description or seems to slip from the story of our lives, we can most certainly still trust his timing, order, and the way that each opportunity presents itself. We can trust that what he allows will be what’s best and be confident in what he has ahead through the uncertainty. The truth is, he has you on the perfect path. And nothing on earth has power over his plan. Before the Lord even formed you in your mother’s womb he knew everything about you, and everything about your future. A certain future–unraveling today, through tomorrow, and years from now–that is set apart, specific, unique, and tailor-made just for you.
Let’s pray:
Perfect Lord God, You have given me gifts, abilities, callings, and desires. You have led me and never let me down. And I am so thankful for your continual guidance. But for some reason, I become confused in the midst of so many crossroads of choices and all the distracting worldly voices and begin to wonder where you’re leading and if it’s truly what’s best for me. I want to be 100% confident that I am where you want me. I want to be reminded that you have thoroughly known me and everything about me and chose the masterpiece of my future before I was even conceived. How wonderful. How purposeful. How perfect. Lord, allow my confidence to grow today in the purpose of today even when the boat of life is rocking, may I not be shaken, but remain sturdy on your good promises. That you love me, you are with me, and are crafting something beautiful with every day of my life.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Siri Stafford
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