Learning to find God’s plan in the unexpected detours of life
This week, please welcome a guest blogger to Shining the Light: Karen Ferguson, author of Guess How Much God Loves You, a Christian children’s book that just launched this month. Check it out on Amazon here.
By Karen Ferguson
Have you ever started off the new year with a special word? Something you felt God was calling you to embrace in the current season? Something that would keep you focused and productive?
I did, for almost 5 years. But I noticed a pattern. Each year brought unwelcome detours that didn’t seem to align with my special word. At least not at first glance.
In 2017 my word was faith. I had a book idea in me for four years that I had done nothing with. I was finally ready to step out and see what God would do. Knowing how difficult it can be to publish traditionally I chose to self-publish. What an adventure! The process was fun in the beginning, and rewarding when it launched, but there was so much I didn’t understand about the publishing world, and I wasn’t a fan of self-promotion.
So, when it was time to pick a word for 2018, I just knew it would be courage, because I figured it would take a lot of it to step out and market my book. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.
I was hit with a health flare up that got in the way of my best-laid plans. I was also hit with a dose of fear and envy as I started comparing my book journey to other authors. All that did was create a spirit of discontent and grumbling. Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful for the opportunities God did bring. He did some amazing things through that book. But deep down I was disappointed because I naively assumed it would become a “bestseller,” even though I did very little to promote it. Silly, I know. But God was refining me, and about halfway through the year He gave me two Scriptures to stand on.
One was Zechariah 4:10: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” God showed me through His Word and personal experience that He uses small beginnings to get His children to each next right step.
The second verse was Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.” It was in this Scripture I learned that sometimes courage isn’t about stepping out boldly, but having bold faith to wait on God. Because of the obstacles, I had to choose to wait patiently for God to move and not try to force an outcome that was outside His timing. I had to find the courage to believe that God’s plan was better than my own.
Come the next January, my word was freedom. I was ready to move past the delays and further into the calling I believe He had for me. I was praying for more freedom of time and creative energy to get me to the next step on my author journey. Ironically, my time and energy were more limited than ever, due to some pretty unusual caregiving responsibilities. I had very little uninterrupted time to write or do anything outside our home.
So I gave it a try again in 2020 with the word abundance. I desperately needed an abundance of God-designed opportunities that would help me catch up from the past few years, and things really started to open up in the first quarter. Then came COVID, and the whole world changed.
As life slowed to a crawl with social distancing and shut downs, it naturally gave me more time to think, pray, plan, and write. It was in this season when my wonderful husband pushed me to write that children’s book that had been on my heart for years.
It seemed the special words from the last three years all came together at once in abundance.
I stepped out in faith, and had the time, creative, and even financial freedom to do so. I wrote the book and sent the query letters. I found the courage to step away from my freelance writing career without any guarantee of outcomes.
Sure, I struggled with procrastination at times and my faith felt rather small, but I stepped out and did the work, and when I hit submit on that last query letter, I literally heard God say there would be one who would respond. Just one.
Sure enough there was. Within a month I signed on with Ambassador International for my first book in the Guess How Much God Loves You picture book series, which will be released July 19, 2022.
I haven’t done a special word for a while, and it’s not because I don’t think there is value in that practice. I know it works for a lot of people. But in this season of my life, I have found just one word that naturally aligns with every goal, plan, and agenda. Trust.
One of my favorite go-to verses is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”
Trust is a word that always fits because we don’t know the future, and we certainly can’t control circumstances or outcomes. And if we are honest with ourselves, no matter how motivated we are, we can’t truly ‘make it happen’ on our own. We need God’s help. We need His provision, wisdom, and blessing.
Waiting for God to move is not easy. It requires faith, courage, and an abundance of patience, but I have learned that waiting on Him brings a freedom like no other. When we expect to see His faithfulness in every season, and look for the unconventional lessons He teaches us in the detours of life, then we become more flexible with our plans, at the same time trusting that God can do more than we could ever imagine, just like He promises in Ephesians 3:20-21. “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.”
I’ve certainly seen that played out in my own author journey.
If you’re one who has given up on your dream because you’ve been disappointed, I understand. Finding God’s plan in the detours of life is not easy, and those detours can often cloud our understanding of what He wants to teach us in each season. But I do know that God is faithful. Always. And I believe that if you continue to put Him first, trusting that His ways and timing are best, then He will honor that and stay true to His promise, which says He will work everything out for your good (Romans 8:28)
A prayer: Lord, help us to seek you daily with our plans, agendas, and to-do lists. Give us ears to hear your voice, and eyes to see where you are directing us. Help us to wait patiently for you to move when we are called to wait, and give us wisdom to know when it’s time to step out in faith. Above all, may we understand that the abundant blessings of this life are found in you alone. Keep us close to you and help us to find and embrace your will for this current season. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen!
Karen Ferguson is an author, content creator, and the owner of Illuminate Communications, LLC. She’s a lover of words, family, animals, and Jesus and a passionate advocate for Truth that transforms lives. Her mission is to use the power of words to inspire, encourage, and enlighten readers of all ages on their whole-life journey, helping them settle into their unique, God-given identity and purpose. You could call her a “multi-passionate” professional, as she also holds an MBA and has a background in sales, accounting, education, and human resources. She is married with two grown daughters. For more about Karen, visit her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
CHECK OUT THE BOOK TRAILER FOR GUESS HOW MUCH GOD LOVES YOU, HERE:
The first book in the Guess How Much God Loves You picture book series is now available. GET IT HERE ON AMAZON.
THANKS TO MY SPONSOR: MATT BRODIE.
WANT TO HELP SPONSOR JESSICA BRODIE’S WRITING MINISTRY? CLICK HERE.
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