How do you stay connected in your walk with God? I’m especially thinking about “in the moment” times? Who has God placed in your life for those moments of celebration? Those times of challenge? Anyone who says, “We’ll figure it out”?
I’ve often talked about seeing God in the details, in the moment. Who has God put in your life to help you do that when a decision needs to be made, when you’re uncertain which way to proceed?
I’m blessed to be married to a man of great faith. Kurt is not only someone who “walks the WOLK” as I like to say, who walks the words of loving kindness, but he also trusts God’s will, God’s way, and God’s when.
And that really is a blessing to me, because I’m the one who bounds into the room with questions and concerns, thoughts and ideas, anxiousness and hopefulness, all surrounding issues I want resolved now, right now.
Kurt’s response? “We’ll figure it out.”
We’ll figure it out.
If you don’t know Kurt that can sound off-putting, a flip response to whatever might be on my mind. It’s not.
First, Kurt’s reminding me that we’re a team. Throughout our marriage, Kurt has been there for me with support and encouragement—even when I’ve been at my most annoying, even when I’ve been totally off base, off kilter.
Good grief! The guy will follow my directions as I’m micromanaging our drive somewhere—even when he knows I’m wrong. He always assumes I’m right. I’m not.
But even more important, when Kurt says “We’ll figure it out,” it’s his way of saying the two of us will figure it out according to God’s will, God’s way, and God’s when.
That’s especially important, because not only do I micromanage car rides, but I also try to micromanage life, my life, his life, our life. We joke that we will never ever work together. The last thing my dear darling husband needs is someone by his side who questions his every move, his every decision 24/7.
I’m a financial advisor who’s on the administrative side of our business, not the advisory side. My job is to micromanage all the moving pieces of our clients’ financial strategies—which works well when caring for clients, when I can say, “We’ll figure it out,” but not so well when dealing with my husband or my walk with God.
You’ve heard me reference my “Please God” prayers. Often during the day, I’ll find myself having “Please God” moments. They started, because my prayers were often detailed instructions for God, how He might fix things, fix moments, fix relationships, a lot of fixes. And then I would carefully craft my heavenly petitions to include my preferred timing—this afternoon, by Tuesday, before I fall apart.
I found myself without words, having “Please God” moments, when I began to think about praying for God’s will. How do I do that? So often I’ve skipped through the Lord’s Prayer and sped past that whole “Thy kingdom come; thy will be done” thing.
What does God’s will look like? Could God really be there for me, if I didn’t help Him be there for me?
Ridiculous, I know. I have only to look back and my prayers become prayers of thanksgiving.
My entire life is a testament to God’s love and faithfulness. And helping me to find God in the details, to see Him in the moment, is my husband. Kurt’s been there for me with his quiet faith, his unquestioning belief in God’s goodness, his trust in God’s faithfulness. His belief that we’ll figure it out.
And that’s been way better than anything I could have prayed for.
Our most wonderful God put us in relationship with Him and each other, and into our lives God puts voices of reason, words of encouragement, moments of support. Some of those voices will be louder than others, at times more profound, at other times more pronounced.
Some of the quietest voices will bring us the boldest messages.
Some of the loudest voices will bring the smallest, most beautiful insight.
God surrounds us with people who can uplift us when our spirits sag, uphold us when doubts fester, people with “We’ll figure it out” encouragement. Some will help make sure we don’t become uprooted and upended.
Who has God placed in your life? Where has He placed a quieter voice? A louder one? Who is there when all is well, when all is not?
Before the pandemic, I enjoyed a standing coffee date with church friends. Every Saturday morning, we would gather over our favorite drinks. In 60 minutes, we’d solve the world’s problems and update our prayer list. We’d giggle and groan.
And then social distancing became the law of the land. Sitting outside wrapped in a blanket on a 42-degree morning didn’t work for me. Small get-togethers became sporadic get-togethers.
It just wasn’t the same. Yes, it was just coffee, but it was so much more.
As the masks come off and we have opportunities to be social, be deliberate in your reconnections. Watch for opportunities to get together. Watch for opportunities to say, “Well figure it out.”
Marvel at the people God brings into your life. Treasure the giggles and the groans.
I treasure the weekends, because Kurt will often walk with me. I’m at 314 consecutive days of walking. I know! For thirty-five minutes, Kurt and I talk about the blessings in our life—those we saw coming, those we didn’t, the smaller ones and the bigger ones, the ones that are easy to overlook, the ones that loom large. It’s the best thirty-five minutes of my week. Not only do I get to hear “We’ll figure it out, “ but I also get to hear “It all worked out.”
Today our closing prayer is based on a prayer shared at our wedding. Kurt and I dated for nine years before we got married. That had not been my plan. I’d expected to date through college, marry shortly after graduation, and live happily ever after.
Kurt never got the memo. Actually, he got many—most in the form of heartfelt pleas and lots of tears.
But Kurt wasn’t ready. And what I didn’t realize at the time was that I wasn’t ready either. I had a lot of growing up to do. Still do, actually!
Looking back that’s when I’ll often hear, “It all worked out”–after hearing “We’ll figure it out.”
Yes, it did and yes, we did—according to God’s will, God’s way, and God’s when—and I’m blessed to be able to hear those reminders in the quieter voice of a delightful man.
Let’s pray:
O God, our Creator, we rejoice that You are with us, fulfilling your promise in every age. Look with grace upon us. Give to us the peace, joy, and love which You have for all those whom You bring together in Your kingdom. Help us to affirm the love we have for each other, strengthening the oneness we have in You. As You love us, may we love each other—freely, generously. Bless our lives together that they may fulfill Your purpose. In Christ’s name, amen.
Deanna Nowadnick is the author of Fruit of My Spirit and Signs in Life.
Deanna is also the host of “Morning WOLK with God” at Fave Lifestyles.
