Through the Storm

Hebrews 11:1 – "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."

It started with the job loss. Just like that, the security I had built my life upon crumbled. Bills stacked higher than I cared to admit, and fear settled in my chest like an unwelcome guest. Then, my car was repossessed.

I clenched my fists in frustration. “God, where are You?”

Silence.

Days passed, then weeks. My prayers felt empty, like sending letters into the void. Then one evening, in sheer exhaustion, I stopped striving. Instead of demanding solutions, I surrendered. “Lord, I don’t understand. But I choose to trust You.”

A peace settled over me—not immediate relief, but a quiet assurance that I wasn’t alone. And then things began to shift. God gave me a strategic way to regain my car without losing half its value. My electricity, shut off for two days, was miraculously restored—without a single payment.

2 Corinthians 5:7 – "For we live by faith, not by sight."

Despite this, the biggest challenge remained: my son’s graduation in California, while I was stranded in Texas with locked accounts due to past debt, making the trip impossible.

I had always dreamed of a road trip, and there I was, embarking on twenty-four hours of highway and scenery, just God and me. His presence was palpable, a reassuring and guiding voice at every turn. The journey took me through Mexico, Arizona, El Paso, and San Diego, the road unfolding before me like a path carved by faith itself.

I picked up my son, and together we visited beaches and parks where we felt surrounded by God’s love. Our arrival in Oakland marked not only my son’s graduation but also a deeply personal celebration for me.

My brother hosted a gathering, and as I embraced my mother, siblings, in-laws, nieces, cousins, and aunts, I realized God had answered my prayers for an end to lonely holidays. He had orchestrated this reunion as much for me as for my son.

Mark 11:24 – "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

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Not only did he receive graduation gifts, but so did I—perfume, jewelry, shoes, clothing, roses, teddy bears, and an overwhelming outpouring of love. Even meals and outings, things I usually paid for, were covered entirely by my family.

I had spent years being the giver, the provider. But God wanted to show me He is my provider. He sees me. He loves me beyond measure.

Faith, I realized, wasn’t about controlling the outcome. It was about trusting the One who already held it.

And as the storm passed, both inside and out, I stood stronger—not because I had figured it all out, but because I had learned to lean entirely on Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."