When the story you expected starts to unravel…
I’ve always loved a good story! From childhood to the present, stories have captivated my heart through a myriad of media: books, plays, movies, and video games. If it had a good story, I loved it! Stories that carry you through laughter, tears, and triumph — those are the ones that really get me.
However, real life rarely unfolds like a perfectly outlined story. Right? Our chapters can feel messy, confusing, and downright unfair.
Maybe you’ve been there too. You had a plan, a vision, for how your life would look. Then, something unexpected happened. The diagnosis. The delay. The heartbreak. The loss. The betrayal. The “this wasn’t supposed to be part of my story” moment.
I’ve lived with that since 2017. Everything I thought I was doing right and secure started to shift beneath me. Plans I had thought out and justified suddenly revealed their true colors. As I walked through this season of shaking, I realized the truth behind this Proverb: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9, ESV). And in the pain I lived in, I felt like I had lost my footing, my place, and the very essence of who I thought I was in my story altogether.
It was in that long season of pain, trial, and shaking that the Lord began to whisper: “You’re not holding the pen—I am.”
Over several year and several disappointments, God brought those words more and more to the forefront of my mind. Those words didn’t erase the pain, but they reframed it. I was reminded that, even when life goes off-script, God’s divine authorship never falters. He’s not scrambling to edit your story. He’s orchestrating it. He’s writing it.
God Doesn’t Write at Random
When our stories twist in ways we never planned or hoped for, our first instinct is to question the Author. Why this? Why now? Why me?
But God’s Word reminds us that His ways are not our ways:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
— Isaiah 55:8–9 (ESV)
If we’re honest, we like stories we can control. Sweet. Simple. Predictable. Romantic. Fantastic. You name it! We want clear beginnings, beautiful middles, and happy endings without any wilderness trials in between. Yet, some of the most beautiful parts of God’s Word (and our own lives) are found in the in-between places of unknowns.
When we look at the Bible, we see Joseph, who spent years in slavery then a prison before stepping into the palace. We see David, who was anointed long before he ever wore a crown and endured years of hiding in the wilderness. We also see Ruth, who followed her convictions into absolute uncertainty before she found redemption.
There are countless stories like this in Scripture. None of these people could see the full story while they were living it. But the Divine Author did.
Detours Aren’t the End of the Story
If you’ve ever felt like your life has taken a detour, you’re not alone. But take heart: every seeming detour is actually God’s way of refining His beloved saints. Detours often feel like delays, but in God’s hands, they’re redirections toward something greater. Something beyond anything we could’ve hoped or imagined. Sometimes the very path that feels most off-course is the one leading us to the purpose we prayed for!
When I look back at the seasons I wanted to skip, I can see now that those chapters were essential for my growth and maturing — both emotionally and spiritually. Although I spent countless hours praying for God to change my circumstances, I see now how crucial those seasons were. They shaped my faith, softened my heart, and deepened my trust in God. They taught me that faith isn’t about understanding every page—it’s about trusting the One who’s writing it.
Romans 8:28 reminds us: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Did you catch that? All things. Even the broken ones. Even the delayed ones. Even the ugly ones. Even the ones we would have edited out if it were up to us.en ones. Even the delayed ones. Even the ones we would have deleted out if it were up to us.
Learning to Live Unscripted
Living with God as your Author means releasing control of how we think our lives should look. It means choosing surrender over striving. It’s trusting that even when we don’t see the full plot, we trust His will and believe that we are still held by His purpose.
Maybe you’re in a waiting season. Maybe you’re in a wilderness season. Maybe you’re in a season of trials. Maybe your story feels like it’s stalled on a painful page. Friend, this is not the end. I promise.
The Author hasn’t stopped writing! He hasn’t abandoned you to your circumstances. He hasn’t given up on you. He is right there, writing and crafting a story within you that will fulfill His promise to make “all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV). Every great story has conflict before resolution, heartbreak before healing, and darkness before dawn.
The Author of your story knows exactly how this chapter will lead to redemption. Sometimes, He allows us to walk through pages we don’t understand so we can later testify of His faithfulness. But, His goodness is not determined by our circumstances. What you see as a setback may actually be the scene that shifts everything toward the promise He’s been preparings we don’t understand so we can later testify of His faithfulness. What you see as a setback may actually be the scene that shifts everything toward the promise He’s been preparing.
Holding the Pen Loosely
I’ve learned that peace doesn’t come from predicting how the story will go. It comes from trusting Who’s holding the pen. When I surrendered my pride and need to control, I found freedom. When I stopped trying to make sense of every detail, I began to rest in the reality that God’s story for me is better than any version I could have written myself.
And friend, the same is true for you.
No tear is wasted.
No waiting is meaningless.
No detour is without design.
Your story is still unfolding—and the Author is faithful.
Reflection
Take a moment today to pause and think about where your life feels “off-script.” What if this chapter isn’t an interruption but an invitation to trust deeper, rest longer, and believe harder that God’s hand is still moving?
Reflection Prompt:
What part of your story are you struggling to surrender to God’s authorship?
Prayer Prompt:
“Lord, help me to trust You even when I don’t understand the season I’m in or when I can’t see the next chapter unfolding. Remind me that You are writing something far greater than I could imagine. Remind me that every page, even this one, has purpose in Your hands. I trust you with my story. I surrender it to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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