This page is about trusting God through the hard seasons — the dry spells, the unanswered prayers, the times He feels far away. Faith is easy to talk about and hard to live. The posts here are about the real thing: trusting God when prayers feel unanswered, when you’re rushing ahead of what He has for you, when doubt creeps in, and when everything in you wants to take control. I’ve been in all of those places. These are the essays I wrote from there.
When God Feels Distant
Some seasons of faith are dry and quiet. These posts are for when you’re not sure God is even listening — and for finding Him again in the silence.
- My Favorite Story of Childlike Faith
- Hide and Seek With God
- When You Don’t Pray Anymore
- Can’t Sleep at Night
- When Your Heart Is Being Tested
- Shortcuts to Spiritual Growth
When You’re Rushing Ahead of God
One of the hardest acts of faith is slowing down and letting God lead. These posts are about surrender — and what happens when we stop trying to run the show.
- When You’re Rushing Ahead of God
- When You Trust Yourself More Than God
- Counting, Not Trusting
- Keeping First Things First
- Preparing for the Future
- Waiting for Your Miracle
When Life Isn’t Working
What do you do when nothing seems to go right — and you’re not sure God is paying attention? These posts are for those seasons.
- When Nothing You Do Is Working
- God Is Close to the Brokenhearted
- Why Bad Things Happen in Your Life
- Hope Deferred Makes the Heart Sick
- What Are You Fighting For?
- Protecting Yourself from Pain
- Scared of Sudden Disaster
On Doubt, Fear, and Courage
Fear is the opposite of faith — but it’s also the starting line. These posts are about naming the fear and stepping forward anyway.
- Conquering Fear
- Fear Keeps You From Trying
- Fear Keeps You From Miraculous Moments
- Believing for the Best and Preparing for the Worst
- How Faith Helps You Climb Mountains and Get Home Safe
- Jack Bauer Is My Hero
When God Corrects and Redirects
Sometimes what feels like God closing a door is actually Him protecting you from something you couldn’t see.
- God Corrects Us to Protect Us
- When Your Ministry Is Taken Away
- Are Prayers Enough?
- Does God Share His Secrets With Us?
- Getting Over the Hump
Common Questions About Trusting God
What do you do when God feels distant?
You keep showing up, even when it feels one-sided. Some of the most honest faith I’ve had came in the dry seasons, when I kept praying without feeling much of anything. Distance isn’t always abandonment — sometimes it’s an invitation to trust without the feelings to lean on.
Why does God let bad things happen to people who love Him?
I don’t have a tidy answer, and I’m a little suspicious of anyone who does. What I’ve found is that God tends to feel closer in the suffering than in the comfort, even when I can’t sense Him there in the moment.
How can I trust God when my prayers go unanswered?
Unanswered prayer is one of the hardest parts of faith. What’s helped me is remembering that “no” and “not yet” are answers too, and that I almost never see the whole picture from where I’m standing.
Is it a sin to doubt?
No. Doubt and faith aren’t really opposites — fear is. Some of the most faithful people I know are the ones honest enough to wrestle with their questions out loud instead of pretending they don’t have any.
I seek to live my life in a way that keeps me joyful and young at heart — and nothing has grown that faith more than the seasons where it was hardest to hold on.