Sometimes faith isn’t standing confidently on the mountaintop. Sometimes it’s sitting in the dark, with tears running down your face, whispering, “Lord, I still trust You.”
There are moments in life that change everything in an instant. Moments when the world keeps turning, the birds keep singing, and people continue going about their day, while your own world has seemingly come to a complete standstill.
For me, that moment came when I was told my employment contract had been terminated.
Effective immediately.
Two words that hit me like a ton of bricks. And just like that, a door I thought was still open slammed shut in my face.
When Everything Changes in Less Than Ten Minutes
The entire process took less than ten minutes. Less than ten minutes to unravel the sense of security I had built around my work, my routine, and the future I thought I was moving towards.
Just two weeks earlier, I had been asked for patience while the company considered my next steps. I had been reassured that there would be an opportunity, that I didn’t need to stress, and that there were no plans for me not to be there.
I believed that reassurance.
And then, two weeks later, I found myself facing an entirely different reality.
What made this experience particularly difficult was that, for the first time in my working life, I couldn’t point to something I could have done differently.
The quality of my work wasn’t in question.
The relationships I had built weren’t in question.
There was no mistake to correct or problem I could solve.
This was completely outside my control.
And for someone who is accustomed to working hard, finding solutions, and making a plan, that realisation was devastating.
I went into shock. I honestly didn’t know what, where, or how from here.
When Faith and Fear Exist in the Same Room
I wish I could tell you that my immediate response was unwavering peace. That I simply smiled, quoted a Bible verse, and confidently walked into the next chapter of my life.
But that wouldn’t be the truth.
The truth is that I had cried on and off for 24 hours.
The truth is that I am scared.
The truth is that I don’t know what comes next.
And the truth is that I am having to remind myself, repeatedly, that being afraid does not mean I have stopped trusting God.
There is a constant battle between what my circumstances are telling me and what God’s Word has taught me.
My circumstances say that the future is uncertain. My faith reminds me that my future is not hidden from God.
My circumstances say that a door has closed. My faith reminds me that God is not limited by the doors people close.
My circumstances say that I am standing in the dark. My faith reminds me that darkness does not mean God has left the room.
Holding On to the Scriptures I Learned as a Child
One of the greatest gifts of growing up with God’s Word is discovering that the verses you memorised as a child can become the very words that carry you through adulthood. Over the past day, I have found myself returning to those familiar Scriptures again and again.
One in particular keeps coming back to me:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
– Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)
I know this verse was originally spoken to God’s people during their exile. It wasn’t a promise that they would never experience hardship or that their circumstances would change overnight.
But it reminds me of something I desperately need to remember right now: God’s people are not forgotten, even in seasons they would never have chosen for themselves.
I cannot see what lies ahead. I don’t know which opportunities will come, which doors will open, or how everything will work out. But I believe God sees what I cannot. And right now, that belief is something I am choosing to hold on to.
The God Who Cares for the Birds Will Not Forget Me
Another passage that keeps returning to my heart is Matthew 6. Jesus speaks about the birds of the air and reminds His listeners that their heavenly Father feeds them.
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” Matthew 6:26 (KJV)
When fear starts whispering that I am alone, I remember those words.
If God cares for the birds, how much more does He care for His children?
That doesn’t mean I can sit back and expect everything to fall into place without taking responsibility or making an effort. It means that, even as I update my CV, explore opportunities, and work out practical next steps, I don’t have to carry the weight of the future as though it rests entirely on my shoulders. I can do what is within my control. And I can trust God with what isn’t.
Learning to Listen Instead of Trying to Fix Everything
One of the hardest parts of this experience is resisting the urge to figure everything out immediately. My mind wants answers. It wants a timeline. It wants a plan, a backup plan, and a backup plan for the backup plan. But my heart keeps returning to a quieter instruction: Listen.
Listen for God’s voice. Listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Don’t allow panic to make every decision. Don’t mistake movement for direction. And don’t assume that because I cannot see the next step, God hasn’t already prepared a way forward. Proverbs 3:5–6 reminds me to trust in the Lord rather than relying entirely on my own understanding. I am learning that trusting God does not mean refusing to make plans. It means being willing to surrender those plans when He leads me somewhere unexpected.
Giving Myself Permission to Grieve
Something else I am learning is that I need to show myself compassion. Losing a job is not only about losing an income. It can mean losing a routine, a sense of security, professional relationships, and the future you had pictured. There is grief in that. And I am allowing myself to acknowledge it. I am allowing myself to cry. I am allowing myself to feel disappointed. I am allowing myself to admit that this hurts.
Because faith does not require me to pretend that difficult things aren’t difficult.
The Psalms are filled with honest cries to God. David did not hide every moment of fear, sorrow, or confusion. He brought those feelings to the Lord. And I can do the same. I am reminding myself that I did not have the power to change this outcome. That truth is difficult to accept, but it also means I can stop replaying every conversation in search of something I might have done differently.
Some things are simply beyond our control. And I am learning to give myself grace in those moments.
I Don’t See the Light at the End of the Tunnel Yet
I think we sometimes feel pressure to share our testimonies only once everything has worked out. Once the new job has arrived. Once the bills have been paid. Once the door has opened. Once we can look back and say, “Now I understand why God allowed that to happen.”
But I’m not there yet. I am writing this from the middle of the storm.
I don’t have a miraculous turnaround story to share today. I don’t have an exciting announcement about the next chapter. I don’t even know what that chapter looks like. What I do have is faith in a God who has carried me through every storm I have faced before.
And the conviction that He has not abandoned me in this one.
Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.Right now, I cannot see the outcome I am hoping for. But I can choose to trust the One who sees beyond my present circumstances.
Maybe This Is What Faith Looks Like Today
Maybe faith today looks like getting out of bed when you would rather stay under the covers.
Maybe it looks like opening your Bible through tear-filled eyes.
Maybe it looks like praying when you don’t know what to say.
Maybe it looks like updating your CV, sending another application, or taking one small step forward while still feeling afraid.
Maybe it looks like admitting, “Lord, I don’t understand this. But I know You haven’t left me.”
I serve a God who is greater than any storm I have ever faced. I believe He is already ahead of the challenges I cannot yet see.
And while I don’t know what tomorrow holds, I know that I do not have to face it alone.
A Prayer for the Middle of the Storm
Heavenly Father,
You know what happened. You know how much it hurts, how frightened I feel, and how uncertain the future looks.
You know the questions I cannot answer and the things I am struggling to surrender.
You know the questions I cannot answer and the things I am struggling to surrender.
Please quiet the fear that keeps rising in my heart. Remind me of Your promises when my thoughts become overwhelming.
Give me wisdom for the decisions ahead, courage to take the next step, and patience when I cannot see what You are doing.
Help me listen for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit instead of allowing panic to lead me.
Teach me to have compassion for myself as I process this loss.
And when I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, remind me that You are still with me in the darkness.
I place my future in Your hands.
I place my future in Your hands.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
To the Woman Walking Through Her Own Storm
If you are reading this because you have lost your job, received unexpected news, or found yourself facing a future you never planned for, I want you to know something.
You don’t need to have all the answers today. You are allowed to grieve. You are allowed to be afraid. You are allowed to take things one day at a time. And you can bring every one of those feelings to God. I cannot promise that your circumstances will change tomorrow. I cannot promise that the next door will open exactly when you want it to.But I can encourage you to keep seeking the Lord, to reach out to the people who love you, and to take the next practical step when you are ready.
For now, I am choosing faith over fear.
Not because the fear has disappeared. Not because I know how this story ends. But because I believe the God who has walked with me this far will continue to walk with me through whatever comes next.
The storm is real. The tears are real. The uncertainty is real.
But so is my God.
If you’re walking through an unexpected season, I’d love to hear which Bible verse has been bringing you comfort. Share it in the comments. Perhaps your words will encourage someone else who needs them today.