Immediately following the Christmas season, my husband and I decided to take a week-long vacation to relax in Chicago, Illinois. If you know anything about the windy city, you're probably chuckling about my naivety. Nevertheless, that was the plan. We'd spend one day driving halfway. Two days in Algonquin to visit some friends. One day in Morrison. And then head home.
But then, our car broke down just off a busy highway. Instead of feeling peace during the 8-hour ride home, I felt tension. Not only were Ben and I stranded in Princeton, Illinois, but we were thrown off course. After a call to Triple AAA, a ride with a tow truck, and a night's stay in a local hotel while the car was being repaired, we felt frustrated, stressed, and inconvenienced. But honestly, amidst these negative feelings, I felt surprisingly calm. Not because things were going how I anticipated, but because I realized, this isn't about me. This wasn't in our plans, but even in the midst of disruption, God is still present.
Why Delays Feel So Personal
While this mishap is personal to me, I'm sure we've all experienced delays and unexpected circumstances at some point. You had to work overtime, the train got delayed, the flight got cancelled, and XYZ took way longer than expected.
Delays trigger a lot of anxiety, control issues, and exhaustion. And that's normal. We're human, after all. We like to know the plan and be in control of our lives. However, even minor inconveniences can feel overwhelming because they weren't expected. Our nervous systems hate uncertainty, and unfortunately, 100% of life comes with a heaping dose of uncertainty.
So where does that leave us? As Christians, we can either fight the delays or accept them. We can either trust that God will work through them and the pain, or not. The choice you make will ultimately be up to you.
What Scripture Says About Interruptions
In Proverbs 16:9, we learn that planning is a natural thing we as humans do: “In their hearts humans plan their course…” But do you know how that verse concludes? "But the Lord establishes their steps" (NIV). Friends, we can plan, but tomorrow isn't promised. We can create the most detailed five-step plans and elaborate vacation excursions, but in the end, God establishes our steps. Why? Because He knows and sees things beyond our understanding.
Isaiah 55:8-9 explains the process this way: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways" (NIV). In some ways, this verse seems scary. God's ways aren't like ours, and we won't ever fully comprehend this side of Heaven. But in others, this brings immense comfort. God's ways aren't ours, and that's a beauty. How do I know?
While it might initially seem frustrating, we can trust God's delays. Joseph, Paul, and even the Israelites in the wilderness experienced delays. But every single one was used by God. Some for protection, others for growth, and some for reasons we still may not understand. They probably didn't either. And yet, each one trusted God through it.
What God Might Be Doing in the Delay
Today, I don't know every reason God uses delays. I don't know exactly why He does what He does. But I do know that God might be protecting us from things we can't see. Protection we don’t see. And in other cases, perhaps he's slowing us down when we're running on empty, and this is the only way He can get our attention. Like a car running out of gas, he knows we need to take care of ourselves, and only will if we're forced to do so.
Regarding my vacation, I still don't know the exact reason for the delays. But I know that it's teaching me trust instead of control. It's creating space for connection, reflection, and rest. It's teaching me that I can plan, but I have to trust beyond what my eyes can see, and my mind can plan.
Choosing Trust When You Don’t Have Answers
Choosing to trust when you don't have all the answers is confusing. It's confusing because trust doesn't automatically erase frustration. However, it does create time and space to hold onto honesty authentically. What does this practically look like?
Name your emotions before God. Tell Him you're confused, mad, angry, and sad. Explain why. But then release the need to "make it all make sense." Ask God to give you His peace that surpasses all understanding, and to know that His presence is with you, even when plans get derailed, and things fall off track.
As I write this, I'm sitting in a Honda Dealership waiting for our car to be repaired. It'll likely be after midnight when we finally make the 6+ hour trek home. But I'm thankful for this waiting room. And I'm grateful for God, who is still good and with me, even here in Illinois.
This past week and weekend are part of His story for me. It's not a mistake or flaw, but I can't fully see the plan right here and right now. If you're experiencing your own delays today, I want to help you acknowledge the tension. It's frustrating, confusing, and sometimes, downright annoying! But God wastes nothing—even the frustrating parts. And we can trust Him with the unfolding of our lives.
If you’re looking for more practical help on this topic, try asking yourself these questions. Take time to pray through them and answer them authentically:
-Where might God be asking you to trust Him right now?
-Do you struggle when plans go off-track?
-How can you ask God to use these delays to grow you and your faith?
-Instead of seeing delays as frustrations, how can you reframe them?
As you answer these questions, I encourage you to communicate with God openly in prayer and ask Him to soften your heart towards His plans. Learning to see delays as a blessing doesn’t come easily to us. And it will take time. But if we learn to see them with open hands and hearts, we can trust that God has good plans for us even when we can’t see them. And because we know His character (He’s a faithful and ever-present God who helps us in times of trouble), we can trust Him.
Prayer
Dear God,
When we’re stranded, frustrated, and annoyed, please help us to trust you still. When plans don’t go as planned or as expected, please help us to trust you beyond what our eyes can see. When things don’t make sense, or we get upset, remind us that your ways are not like our own, but you know best. You are a good and faithful God, and no matter what happens, we can trust you. Protect us in your grace, lavish us in your love, and show us how to be more like you, even when we’re tempted to go our own way. As we continue to plan and live, please help us to surrender our plans to you entirely. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.
Photo credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/Zbynek Pospisil
