The Unexpected

Your faithfulness continues through all generations; You established the earth, and it endures (Psalm 119:90, ESV).

My phone rang a couple of nights ago. It was my boss. Under “normal” circumstances, I wouldn’t think much of his calling, but since COVID-19 entered the scene in March things, have been anything but that. He left me a short voicemail asking me to return his call, that he had updates regarding work and clinic staffing. I picked up the phone and called him back. But, before I tell you how the phone call went, let me give you some background information first and tell you a little about my life over the last couple of months.

I graduated from the University of Kentucky Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program in August 2012. Due to some unexpected changes, my originally selected clinical site was canceled at the last minute, and I was assigned to complete my rotation at KORT Physical Therapy in Nicholasville, KY. Fast-forward eight years later, to the exact week, my physical therapy home is still found inside the four walls of our clinic in Nicholasville.

Due to the coronavirus, I haven’t worked since the last week of March. Because of these unprecedented circumstances, I was suddenly catapulted into a phase of life that has, essentially, felt like retirement at 33 years old. That sounds amazing, right? Oddly enough, it really has been just that. I have been fortunate enough to maintain my employment status throughout the entirety of this journey. That security, combined with financial stability and being surrounded (mostly virtually) by the love of so many friends and family, I have been blessed with the opportunity to slow down, hear from the Lord, and see Him show up in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

Time for writing. Opportunities to reconnect with old friends. Occasionally sleeping in, but more importantly, the gift of slow mornings highlighted by coffee and time with the Lord. Hours spent shooting hoops at a nearby court. Afternoons at the pool. Evenings spent acquiring new, fun skills as I’ve worked on DIY projects with friends. Time to be still with the Lord and listen as He has placed new, big dreams on my heart. It was totally unexpected, and though there have been difficult moments, this time has been filled with more blessings than I could have asked for when all this started.

I’m not naïve enough to think everyone has had the same experience as me during this time. My heart truly hurts for all those who’ve suffered loss in ways I haven’t, but I never want to forget or discount all the ways the Lord has been faithful and good, even during the hard of this unanticipated season of life. I am reminded of this truth about God in Psalms 119:90 where it states, “Your faithfulness continues through all generations; You established the earth, and it endures.” I want to cling to the truth that, through everything, His faithfulness endures.

Fast-forward two and a half months later, and we’re back to the moment where I picked up my phone to return my boss’ call. After spending a few minutes catching up on life, he shared the expected update that they need me to return to work next week. What I was not prepared to hear was the news that it would not be at the Nicholasville clinic. Though the ultimate goal and intention is for me to return to Nicholasville when volume increases and restrictions are lifted, due to several circumstances, I am needed to serve elsewhere right now. What came next was a surge of emotions that I couldn’t stop and, before I knew it, I was crying on the phone with my boss. It’s always fun to cry on the phone with your boss, right? Fortunately, I’ve worked with him my entire career, so that was nothing new for him. I was thankful for his gracious and understanding response.

When I bought my house in Nicholasville four years ago, that was truly the beginning of the Lord planting me here. Since that time, I have seen Him grow and heal my heart in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Though I wasn’t raised here, this place has become my home. I’ve grown to love so many people in this community, and I feel so fortunate to have been able to serve through my job for eight years now. My home is here, and so is my heart. So, as you can imagine, hearing the news that I’m being moved to another location, if even just temporary, brought some significant emotions to the surface.

As I’ve processed my heart’s response to this unexpected news, I’ve had the opportunity to sit with the Lord and ask Him to show me what He really wants me to learn in all this. I woke this morning to a text from a friend where she shared this image of the sun rising from behind the trees at her home. In that moment, the Lord spoke to my heart, and I was reminded that He is the creator of the universe. The very first verse of scripture recorded in the Bible in Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” He holds me (and everything else) in the palm of His hands, and I can trust Him. Not just with my job situation, but also with every single part of my heart that contains fear, worry, anxiety, disappointment, doubt, or any other negative emotion the enemy may use to try and steer me off the narrow path.

As I have processed and prayed, I have come to recognize that, instead of clinging to what I want and believe is best, He is asking me to release my control and turn it over to Him. I recently heard this quote from a Joyce Meyer sermon, “He may not do what you want Him to do, but if He doesn’t, He will do something better that you just weren’t smart enough to know how to ask for yet!” This spoke to my heart in that moment and continues to speak to my heart today. I am reminded that He is faithful and good. In my job, but also in every aspect of my life, I want to be like Abraham and choose to trust Him even when I don’t understand. I will go and serve where He leads me and leave the rest to Him.

When I begin to question what God is up to, like I am right now, it’s so important for me to look back and remember all the ways He has been faithful. As I sit here at the beginning of June, I can look back to March and see how the Lord turned the unexpected circumstances of COVID-19 into an abundance of blessings. I trust Him to do the same thing now. If you’re like me and sometimes find yourself in the space of questioning your circumstances and wondering what He is doing, I implore you to remember that being faithful is what God is in the business of doing. I don’t know what in your life has been unexpected recently, but friend, I want to encourage you today to remember this: if we choose to listen for His voice, walk with Him, and trust His ways even when we don’t understand, He will always prove himself faithful. His ways may be bewildering, but His blessings are always abundant.