When God’s Plan Doesn’t Make Sense: Choosing Faith in Hard Times

Have you ever been to a carnival where they have those boxes with a hole in the side, and you’re supposed to stick your hand in and guess what’s inside? Just thinking about it makes my back tense up—I dislike things like that so much. Even if someone reassures me, “It’s fine, nothing will hurt you,” I still can’t bring myself to do it. The one time I tried, I barely touched whatever was inside, squealed, and yanked my hand out.

Sometimes trusting God feels exactly like that. He allows something to happen in my life that, with my finite mind, feels anything but good or like a solid plan. It doesn’t seem safe, comfortable, or right—and yet, He calls me to trust that His ways are higher than mine. And I’ll be honest: sometimes it’s hard to believe that God is good when I can’t see the plan.

In March of 1999, I had a stillbirth at 38 weeks of pregnancy. Jeff, our families, and I were devastated. It was one of the darkest times of my life—especially when the autopsy showed no reason for his death. As a newer Christian, I was left reeling. I thought maybe God was punishing me for things in my past. I kept going to church, checking off the “good Christian” boxes, but inside I was angry, hurt, and confused.

For months I wrestled with God, until finally I prayed, “Lord, I’m tired of being mad at You. Please show me how to use my loss so it isn’t in vain.” About a year later—to the very day—I got a call from a dear friend, the same one who had sat with me in the hospital. She told me she had also experienced a stillbirth on March 13th. My husband and I rushed to the hospital, and in that moment we were able to comfort her and her husband in a way only someone who had walked that road could.

That became a turning point in my faith. When we lost our son Mark, I could have walked away from God—or I could cling to Him. I chose to cling, and that decision changed everything. I know I’ll see Mark again in heaven, and in the meantime God blessed me with two more beautiful children. Because of that season, I’ve come to know Him more deeply and to trust His plan, even when it doesn’t make sense.

Today, I have a passion for walking with people through hard things—probably why I became a therapist and coach. I especially long to help women grow in their walk with God by learning to trust Scripture. Because without His Word as our anchor, life’s storms feel overwhelming. The world tells us one thing, but Scripture tells us the truth.

At the end of the day, you and I both have a choice:👉 Will we trust the Creator who loves us so much He sent His Son to die for us?👉 Or will we rely on our own limited perspective—or the world’s shifting opinions?

Here are the verses God has used to anchor me:

• Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

• Romans 8:28 – “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

• Matthew 7:11 – “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

When I take these verses together, they paint a very different picture of God than my fears or doubts suggest. They remind me that His plan is good, that He can redeem even my worst mistakes, and that He will use my story to encourage someone else.

A Prayer for You

Father, thank You that Your ways are higher than ours, even when life doesn’t make sense. For the woman reading this who feels broken, confused, or afraid, I pray You would wrap her in Your love and remind her of Your promises. Strengthen her to cling to You, to trust Your Word, and to believe that You are working all things together for her good. And for the one who doesn’t yet know You, draw her heart to the hope and salvation found only in Jesus Christ. Amen.

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