When Life Takes An Unexpected Turn

 

“Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.”
— Allen Saunders

This week in the Daily Devos, we will be exploring how to remain resilient and hopeful when life deals us a lousy hand, when things fall apart, and when the plans we have made are shattered.  

We have all had moments in life when the things we have planned go awry.  Each of us has had unexpected interjections into our carefully laid-out blueprints for how we want things to be, sending us spinning.  

Most of us carry a vision of how we expect our lives to unfold.

We imagine careers that will flourish, relationships that will endure, dreams that will materialize, and futures that seem almost certain. We make plans. We set goals. We tell ourselves stories about where life is heading.

Then something happens.

A diagnosis arrives. A relationship ends. A career changes unexpectedly. A loved one dies. A door closes that we were sure would open. The future we imagined suddenly disappears, and we find ourselves grieving something that never actually happened.

This kind of grief can be difficult to name.

After all, how do you mourn a life you never lived?

Yet it is real grief nonetheless, and this kind of grief can take a toll on us, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  We might find ourselves so filled with regret and remorse that we can't find a way forward.  

But there is always hope on the other side of our grief over what might have been.  

In Proverbs 16:9, we read, “The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.” That verse is often quoted as a source of comfort, but it also acknowledges a difficult truth: our plans and God's unfolding reality are not always the same.

The disciples experienced this kind of grief. They envisioned a Messiah who would overthrow Rome and restore Israel's fortunes. Instead, they found themselves standing beneath a cross, watching their hopes collapse. On the road to Emmaus, they confessed their heartbreak: “We had hoped...” (Luke 24:21).

Few phrases carry more sorrow than those words.

We had hoped.

Yet the Emmaus story reminds us that endings are not always what they appear to be. What seemed like the death of a dream was actually the beginning of something larger than the disciples could imagine.

Still, before resurrection comes grief.

Before new possibilities emerge, we must often acknowledge the pain of what has been lost.

Faith does not ask us to pretend disappointment isn't real. It invites us to bring that disappointment honestly before God.

Sometimes healing begins by admitting that we are grieving the life we thought we would have.

If this is where you are today, know that you are not alone.  There are undoubtedly people in your life who know what you are going through that you can lean on when you need them.  

And above all, God is with you, making a new way, providing glimpses of a hopeful future, and inviting you to move forward in joy.  

Prayer

Compassionate God, you know the dreams I have carried and the disappointments I have endured. Help me acknowledge my grief honestly and trust that even when plans change, your presence remains. Walk with me through the losses I struggle to name and guide me toward hope. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. What dream or expectation have you had to let go of?
2. How have you responded to life's unexpected turns?
3. What might it look like to bring those disappointments honestly before God?