Surprises

February 12, 2026

Isn’t it amazing how sometimes the very thing that we dread turns out to be the best thing that could have happened to us?  I was a stay at home mom from the time my oldest daughter was 10 months old until my youngest daughter was about the same age, a span of about 10 years.  I loved it!  Those early years at home with my children were a treasure.

When my youngest child was born in the early 80s, there was a downturn in the US economy.  Like many families, we were struggling financially.  In addition, our marriage was on a downward spiral with no light at the end of the tunnel.  Depressed and anxious, I was constantly begging God for answers.  Financial struggles only made everything worse.  It became evident that I needed to go back to work. 

I grieved deeply over that decision.  The thought of going off every day and leaving my still-nursing daughter in child care felt like such a loss.  I cried all day making up my mind to do it… to return to my teaching career. 

And here is what our loving Father God did!  He provided the sweetest young mom who had a little girl of her own to babysit during the day.  When I picked up my daughter each day after school, she was happy as a lark, not all sad and crying for me.  What a gift!  And over a bit of time, He showed me His love and His plan to turn what I dreaded into what I needed all along.  Being among adults again, in a working environment where people treated me as a peer, with respect…it was the best thing that could have happened.  It was exactly what I needed.  Jesus restored in me a feeling worth, and the truth that He was with me and the future could still be good.   And the icing on the cake was that my daughter was happy and well cared for.

So the thing that I dreaded so badly, giving up being a stay at home mom until this baby daughter could start school, turned out to be the exact gift I needed at the exact right time.   Once again, our loving Abba Father showed me how faithful He is.  Truly goodness and mercy does pursue us all the days of our lives.  And He does take painful circumstances and works out His plan for good.  We may have our own agenda, but God knows best as He directs our steps! Every single good gift comes from HIM. Psalm 23:6; Romans 8:28; Proverbs 16:9; James 1:17.

Have you had a time in your life when God said “no” to your prayers, and then later down the road you realize that what you wanted so badly at the time would not have been good at all.  And you find yourself thankful God said “no.”