Redirected: Discovering God’s Purpose in Our Disappointments

My children love birthdays. It doesn’t matter if it’s their own birthday or someone else’s - they’re going to get excited about it. It’s your special day, and, even better, there’s cake! And ice cream! And presents!

My youngest son’s second birthday is next week. The thing is, he'll be celebrating in heaven

while we remember him from earth - but my boys still want to have a party for him. They decided on train decorations because Levi would have liked trains if he were still here. We need chocolate cake because that would have been his favorite. And a lot of balloons - he definitely would have loved balloons. And that all-too-familiar phrase starts creeping into my thoughts once again...

It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

Those words carry so much weight. They hold grief, disappointment, and the quiet shock of

realizing that life didn’t follow the script we were so sure it would. And while my story is deeply personal, I know I’m not alone in this feeling. We all have moments—some small, some life-altering—where reality looks nothing like what we expected. You made the plans, color-coded the calendar, set the alarm, got everything prepped—and then life looks at you and says, “What a cute idea, but absolutely not happening.”

Plan A didn’t just fail; it packed up and completely ghosted you.

We like to believe we’re in control. If we do the right things and follow the right steps, life will unfold the way it’s “supposed to.” But when those plans fall apart, we’re forced to confront how little control we actually have. In reality, what we’re losing isn’t control at all—it’s the illusion of it. In the midst of the chaos that’s unfolding, our illusion of ever having control is shattered, and we’re left with a choice: cling to what we thought life should look like, or trust God in the middle of what He is doing.

“I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there...But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

(Acts 20:22, 24)

This passage describes Paul leaving for Jerusalem, not knowing what awaited him there, but

still going because he felt the Lord leading him. And for those who don’t know the story—Paul’s journey was anything but smooth.

During this trip, he was falsely accused, seized by an angry crowd, and dragged out of the

temple. A Roman commander intervened and took him into custody. From there, Paul was

questioned by the Sanhedrin, transferred to Caesarea, stood trial before Governor Felix and

later King Agrippa II, and, eventually, he appealed to Caesar to return to Rome. On his way

there, he was shipwrecked on the island of Malta; and once he finally arrived in Rome, he was placed under house arrest.

What’s striking is that at every stage of this story, rather than feeling sorry for himself, Paul used his circumstances as opportunities. He defended his ministry and boldly shared the gospel with anyone who would listen - before the Sanhedrin, through miracles in Malta, and even in confinement, teaching all who visited him. Paul was not living a life of ease, but he was living a life filled with purpose.

A scripture I’ve been dwelling on in light of Paul's journey is Proverbs 3:5-6. It says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will direct your paths.” Paul must have clung to this truth, knowing that God is the One with the ultimate plan. Trusting Him meant allowing God to use his life for His purposes—even when the path was hard and messy. Paul even said, “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus.”

What about us?

Do we really account our lives as having no value compared to the ministry God has

set before us?

For me, I can quote Proverbs 3:5–6, underline it in my Bible, and nod along when it’s read - but living it out as life unfolds...that’s a struggle. I’m realizing that leaning on my own understanding isn’t an option. It only drives me crazy, because I don't have the capacity to understand all the ways God is working.

So I’m learning, slowly and imperfectly, to trust Him instead. Not because I have clarity, but because I don’t. I'm learning to hold my expectations loosely and cling tightly to Him.

I’m being reminded that my life serves an eternal purpose, and that God sees a very different timeline than I do. In His wisdom, He has allowed my story to look totally different than I expected.

Maybe it’s to refine parts of my heart that needed changing.

Maybe it’s to prepare me for a ministry I can’t yet see.

Maybe it’s simply to teach me deeper dependence on Him.

The truth is, I don’t have all the answers for why this has been my path. And I don’t know why

you’ve been asked to walk through the hurts or unexpected outcomes in your own life either.

What I do know is that God has given each of us a unique purpose. And just like Paul, He gives us unique opportunities - if we'll take them - to use our life experiences for His glory.

Instead of endlessly asking why—a question we most likely will never fully

understand—perhaps the better prayer is that God would help us learn what He is teaching us in the midst of our circumstances.

So the next time your day feels turned upside down because the kids have been extra crazy,

you had a flat tire, or maybe you burned all the food you planned to eat for dinner - pause, take a deep breath, and recognize God is working through even this. Or when your life leaves you feeling adrift because you didn’t get that job promotion, dealing with severe illness, or suffered a loss - find comfort in the fact that He is still in control.

When life doesn’t follow our carefully laid out plans - whether big or small - we have a decision to make. Will we rely on Him even in the unexpected? Will we continue to believe in the characteristics of God that we know are true?

Even when we don’t understand, God is good.

Even when our plans fall apart, His never do.

Even when it doesn’t make sense, He is faithful.

Even when life feels chaotic, He is in control.

Even when we feel forgotten, He is with us.

Even when we can’t see it, He is working.

Even when our hearts are breaking, we know He never breaks His promises.

Even when we don’t understand the why, we can have confidence in who God is.

As Levi’s birthday approaches, I feel the ache of his absence - our little boy who would’ve loved trains, balloons, and chocolate cake. But I rest in the belief that God holds Levi in His loving arms. That even here - in the quiet sorrow of what we thought was “supposed to be” I can rest in the truth that when our plans are redirected by God, it isn’t the end of the story...it’s the beginning of a better one.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

(Psalm 121)

Guest post from Amanda Baker