Recently, I wrote an article about why you should trust God when your life doesn’t make sense.
I wrote it because I know there are a lot of people who need reminders that God cares about them personally, not just about people in general. Maybe you need that reminder, too.
And honestly, I didn’t just write that article for others. I also wrote it to comfort myself.
At the time, I had big decisions to make, and I needed to know that everything would work out if I surrendered. I needed to know that God really would take the wheel and guide me because I had no idea what I was doing.
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And you know what?
He did. He really, really did.
Dreams of living in France
Here’s a little backstory: I was raised in America, but my family is originally from France. As I grew up, the idea of living in France one day became my dream. A million things stood in the way, though: college, relationships, money and then COVID, to name just a few.
I wanted to go so badly, but I didn’t know what I would do there or how everything would work out. As I entered my early 20s, international borders were closed. War had broken out in Europe. Inflation was soaring. People were getting laid off in droves.
I’m an optimist, but even to me, the future looked black. It didn’t seem like a great time to leave my family and move to another continent.
But I hoped anyway. I prayed anyway. I decided to appreciate everything I already had and surrender to God’s will, whatever that might be.
Then, in Aug. 2022, I found out about a French association that helps women facing unplanned pregnancies by offering them lodging and support. The association was looking for women my age to come live with these moms and become a kind of family to them. I’ve always loved babies, and the mission spoke to me. A lot. I decided to reach out, and — wonder of wonders — they had just one place left for a volunteer.
So, I thought: Perfect! This is it. I’m finally going to be able to go live in France. I can spend Christmas with my family and fly there in January!
But it wasn’t quite so simple.
Taking a risk
Within weeks of finding out about the association, one of my freelance clients unexpectedly cut my hours — in half. And, try as I might, I couldn’t seem to find a good replacement. I reached out to lots of people — with no success.
That was a blow.
So, I went back to the drawing board. I tried to understand. I tried to be patient and accept that maybe France wasn’t God’s plan for me after all.
Since my parents were going to France to visit our relatives in January, though, I decided to look up some flights in the hopes that I would also be able to go, if only for a few weeks. The flights were expensive, but I had heard that by waiting until mid-week about six weeks before a flight, you can get the cheapest rates.
So, I convinced my parents to hold off for a while. And when we checked back six weeks before our intended departure date, the prices had dropped by about 50%!
Since we were hoping to leave in late January, we booked our tickets in December. I even paid extra to be able to bring checked baggage — all this without knowing if I would be able to stay in France or not.
It was a risk. Money was tight, and I didn’t know what would happen. But I knew that God had a plan. So, I decided to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk.
I did a trust fall into God’s arms. And he caught me.
Boy, did he catch me!
Where I was meant to be
Within days of booking my nonrefundable plane ticket, my inbox started filling up with people who wanted me to work for them. In fact, I got so many messages that I had to start turning down offers.
But that’s not the most incredible part. The most incredible part is that, in mid-December, with just a little more than a month to go before my departure date, my dream client reached out to me asking if I had time to work for her.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
I packed my two suitcases and said my goodbyes and flew to Europe to start a new life.
And when the plane descended and I caught my first glimpse of France in 3.5 years, I smiled because I knew I was meant to be here.
By the grace of God, I’m now living my dream.
I get to attend daily Mass in a magnificent church, work remotely, hold babies, meet new people, and live in a great city surrounded by art and culture and beauty. From my bedroom window, I can see a medieval abbey and hear the bells from a few nearby churches tolling the Angelus as birds fly overhead.
And, in the midst of it all, I’m reminded every single day of how good and faithful and powerful God is — in every season, in every circumstance, in every place. When we understand, and when we don’t understand. When the path ahead is clear, and when there doesn’t seem to be a path at all.
I’m blessed beyond words. But it hasn’t always been easy. I’ve had to trust and surrender a lot along the way, and I’m not good at that.
One thing is for sure, though: When I’ve taken a leap of faith — without knowing exactly where it would take me — I have never been disappointed. God has never, ever let me down. And he will never let you down, either.
What this means for you
Life can be so hard sometimes. There are moments when we can be tempted to think that God is much too busy to answer our prayers or show us the way.
Maybe that’s how you feel right now. Maybe you’re looking at your life and wondering: Why doesn’t God help me and give me more guidance?
If you’ve been thinking that way recently, I hope my story helps you remember that God’s ways are not our ways, but that his ways are always good. His green light is always worth waiting for.
Looking back, I’m so grateful I faced hardships and roadblocks along the way. Why? Because they helped me recognize how weak I am on my own — but also how strong I am with God, and how possible the most seemingly impossible things become when he is there.
Ultimately, the years I spent hoping and praying for the life I have now helped me be patient and resign myself to whatever God might want. And because he is never outdone in generosity, he took care of everything.
Bottom line: No matter what you’re facing right now, don’t be afraid to do a trust fall into God’s arms. He will catch you every time. I guarantee it.
