“Lord, trusting You isn’t as fun as I thought” I prayed as I processed a new and unwanted move. The idea of loving God and of serving Him can sound so peaceful and romantic when we pray about it during a retreat or talk about it with others over coffee. But when it comes to real life, trusting and adoring God can seem hard and scary and frustrating. 

My husband is in medical school and was up for a random selection of where he would be placed for his rotations next year. While I hoped to stay local, I imagined us getting placed in some super cute town in a new exciting place, and I thought of how I could trust God in that adventurous, fun season. What I didn’t expect was getting one of our lowest choices, in a small, rural, kinda scary town that’s an awkward distance from where we currently live. How can God possibly be showing me His love in this situation, when I feel like we just finally are making roots here? If I don’t feel like God is showing me His love, how can I love and adore Him? 

I think it really comes down to verse 7 of our passage today—we are called not to be wise in our own eyes, but to fear God and trust His wisdom. God’s love does not depend on my interpretation of it. If I don’t feel loved, I need to seek the Lord and His viewpoint. I genuinely do think staying local is the best choice…but God clearly has other, wiser, better plans. God is love (1 John 4:8), so all His actions are out of love. I can adore God in this season even if I don’t love the season because I love and trust God. While I’m tempted to run around and try to fix things and find the perfect place to live, God is calling me to come to Him and adore Him. I’m reminded of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42) and of the significance of sitting at Christ’s feet, focused on nothing but His presence. What a powerful sign of adoration and trust! 

While I might never know the reason behind this move, I know that God is my good and loving Father, and that is more than enough of a reason to adore Him. I know He is constantly working for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28). In this season, adoration looks like trust and worship when I feel like complaining and trying to fix everything (Exodus 14:14-15). This adoration of God builds peace and confidence, which will bless my husband and those around us. Whatever season of life you are in, I hope these words encourage your heart that your good and loving Father adores you more than you can ever imagine. He does not call us to complete understanding of His ways, but He does call us to full adoration of Him in each and every season. What does that adoration look like for you today?