Several years ago, I found my life had turned upside-down. I was recently divorced; and, as a Christian, I struggled with the entire concept of divorce. I was trying to rediscover myself. It had been so many years since I had my own identity as an individual that I didn’t know who I was anymore. I was also struggling financially. It was a really bad time in many ways.
One morning, on my way to work, I was listening to WayFM, a Christian radio station that played uplifting music in between powerful conversations about being a Christian in the real world we live in. That morning, they were talking about their semi-annual pledge drive. They were asking for a monthly pledge of $30. As I already mentioned to you, I was struggling financially. I couldn’t give them $30 per month, but I could do $15. I called the station, pledged my $15 per month, and afterward prayed that God would help me to learn to be content with this new life that I was living.
A week or so later, I received a call from Joy, one of the WayFM radio personalities. My name was drawn for an all-expense-paid trip for two to go with Joy on a mission trip to Guatemala. I didn’t think it was possible since I couldn’t even give the minimum pledge they were asking for, and it took Joy several minutes to convince me that I had won. I got off the phone so excited…at first. Within minutes, I had a feeling of dread with thoughts of, “Oh no, God is going to teach me to be more content by showing me the lives of people who have far less.”
And that’s exactly what happened.
God took me to Guatemala, broke my heart, and brought me home content…still struggling but content despite my struggles.
But God didn’t leave me struggling. He had plans for me. He brought me out of that tough, unstable situation to a life of stability and comfort.
In her Bible study, Esther: Daring Faith for Such a Time as This, Kelly Minter starts with the history of Esther’s people. Her ancestors suffered many dark times, far worse than those I experienced. At one point, they were conquered and taken into captivity in Babylon, but God did not leave them there. God had a plan.
The prophet Jeremiah said in chapter 29 verse 11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”
As Kelly said, “Jeremiah’s prophecy was not written to us, but it is still written for us” (Minter, p. 17). When we are struggling, we must remember that God has a plan for us, and we need to persevere with hope through our circumstances until we experience His perfect plan.
Minter, K. (2025). Esther: Daring Faith for Such a Time as This. Lifeway Press.
How a Mustard Seed Grows 