Expect the Unexpected

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber.

Psalm 121:1–3 NIV

When the unexpected happens, we need a reminder to lift up our eyes and find help from the Lord. It’s a simple command. Look up and find hope. What are you facing today? Have you experienced an unexpected detour? It happens in blended families. Often. Custody battles. Children changing residences. Sudden illness or even death. Job loss. Addiction. Child support changes. Miscarriage.

How do you cope? In his book Eyes Up, Pastor Louie Giglio says we must move from “self-dependency to God-ability.” We often start with self-dependency, don’t we? But God-ability offers so much more. My stepmom friend Nicole desperately wanted a child of her own. She loves her stepchildren, but they have an active mom in their lives, which naturally limits her maternal role. She and her husband prayed about the decision to have a mutual child and felt comfortable moving forward.

When Nicole became pregnant, she had no idea of the bumpy road ahead. Her first pregnancy ended in miscarriage. She and her husband were sad, naturally, but knew they could try again. She miscarried again. And again. And again. Finally, she began to see other doctors. She and her husband prayed about their next steps, but they never sensed they should quit trying. As Psalm 121 suggests, they looked up for help.

Nicole commented about the twists and turns they walked: “This journey has been nothing short of grace and mercy and redemption. God never said it would be easy, but He always promises it will be worthwhile. I’ve drawn the closest I ever have been to God in this journey of loss and infertility over the last three years, and I would do it again just to have my Jesus moments! Abba Papa is a great daddy!”

Nicole lost eight babies—yes, eight!—before she finally conceived and birthed her son, Caleb, who will forever be their miracle child. “God always had us, and those babies, in the palm of His hand,” she said. “God is always faithful.”

I don’t know what detours you will encounter on your stepfamily pilgrimage, but you can expect one, two, or even eight. When you need answers to your questions, change the direction of your eyes. Look up!

Thank You, heavenly Father, for reassuring me that I can look up and find help when I need it. I don’t have to walk alone.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

We find answers to the unexpected detours of blended family life when we look up.