Even When Life Seems to be Falling Apart

Have you ever felt like your world has turned upside down?

My husband and I were settling into married life. After searching for one whole year to find a house in a neighborhood in London, England, where we wanted to live, we eventually found a beautiful, three-bedroom Victorian residence. The flowering, purple wisteria hung low over the front door—a detail I’d always envisioned for my perfect home. “We’ll live here for ten years or more,” my husband joyfully announced as he turned the key in the lock.

Our plans were coming together splendidly.

Not only did we have a house to call our own, but I was also moving upward in my career path with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). They were paying for me to study for an MBA, and I was feeling positive about my future. My decision to start a family also took off. I was pregnant with our first child, and had started discussing with other working mums about the best childcare options.

Everything was moving in the right direction. Then suddenly, my world was rocked. My husband’s company offered him a transfer to Massachusetts in the USA.

As my belly grew over the next six months, so did the turmoil as we waited for the work visa to come through. Would we be going or wouldn’t we? I half hoped we wouldn’t, but eventually, only a few weeks before my due date, the visa arrived.

Since my husband’s company had been patiently waiting for him to join them, he started his new work across the pond while I remained in London preparing for the move and for the birth of our first child. Thankfully, he was able to fly back to London for the birth.

Four weeks later, the movers swept through our home, packaging up our belongings. Six weeks after the birth of my baby girl, I stepped off the plane in Boston, clutching her in my arms. Our perfect house with the purple wisteria had a sold sign outside. Our new home was a hotel room in a town I have visited only briefly, six months earlier.

I quickly went from a career girl to a stay-at-home mom. I relied on strangers to admire my baby with their passing comments instead of family and friends surrounding and supporting me as a new mom. My baby had no nursery. She slept on a travel cot next to our hotel bed. I was miserable. I felt awkward and uncomfortable in my new, unfamiliar surroundings. My world seemed out of control compared to my life in London.

It’s nice when we feel in control of our circumstances. It’s even better when we feel secure in our surroundings. We go about our day without having to worry, and life seems good. Yet, often when things are going well, we tend to ignore God’s presence. That’s what I had been doing: making my plans. I had been building my home and career, but not concentrating on my relationship with my heavenly Father. So, when hit with huge changes in my life that took me out of my comfort zone, I felt I had nothing solid to cling to.

In my despair, I discovered my heavenly Father had not left me in sinking sand. A few months after moving to the States, I cried out to Him, knowing only He could provide the calm and peace I needed.

We can make our plans, but God directs our steps, and sometimes His direction is different from our own. In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps (Proverbs 16:9 NIV).

When He directs our steps way outside our comfort zone, we can always trust His plans are better than our own. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

Even when we think things are spinning out of control, or just not going the way we intended, God is still with us and is still very much in control. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8 ESV).

Are you living in a season of turmoil? Have your plans not gone the way you intended? In the midst of it all, it can be hard to see how something good can come from it. Trust Him. He only has His good plan and your best interest in mind.

How great is the goodness You have stored up for those who fear You. You lavish it on those who come to You for protection, blessing them before the watching world.
 -Psalm 31:19 NLT

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Rachel Britton is a British-born author, blogger and speaker equipping women to be bold on the journey through adventurous living, bold prayer, and confident faith. You can connect with Rachel and subscribe to her newsletter at rachelbritton.com.