Life-Giving Words of Hope & Encouragement

“Success is a journey, not a destination.”
I didn’t know how much I needed that sentence until it landed in my lap. I just turned 33, and if I’m honest, the word that’s been shadowing my birthday candles is failure. Jobs come and go. Opportunities shift. God remains the same—and yet the possibility of unemployment hovering overhead makes “keep it together” feel like a full-time job. I catch myself praying, “Lord, didn’t I pass this test last time?”

I don’t understand everything God permits, and I’ve stopped trying to play detective with His will. His ways are higher than mine; He can redeem anything. I know He will never leave or forsake me. Still, some days trusting feels like lifting a boulder with bare hands. As C. S. Lewis wrote, “Experience is a brutal teacher, but you learn, by God, you learn.” Maybe this isn’t a tidy essay—it’s a heart download. But until I say it out loud, I can’t seem to move forward.

I like order. I like solutions. Some would call that controlling. Maybe God is lovingly saying, “I’ve got this. You can sit this one out.” I keep trying to balance everything, and in the attempt, I tip the scales. When the road looks impossible, we need faith—and sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is quiet the overthinking and let the heart trust what the mind can’t calculate. We’re told not to lean on our own understanding, but disappointments make that command feel heavy. Even so, breakthroughs can happen in a breath. If I can align my heart with God, my moment of favor could already be turning the corner. He’s still on the throne. He’s still in control when everything around me feels like it’s caving in. My job is to do my best and let God do the rest.

God rewards those who seek Him—yet how easily I let my ambitions crowd out my pursuit of His presence. Anything I must have to be happy is already off-balance. When my dreams start stealing my peace, it’s a signal I’m holding them too tightly. God doesn’t only know the right plan; He knows the right timing. The word I sensed Him speaking was simple: come to the place where I can say, “Even if I don’t, I’ll still be happy.” Lay the dream on the altar. When I show God He matters more than the outcome, He never disappoints—“the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6).

Freedom isn’t in gripping; it’s in releasing. God put a dream in my heart, and I keep returning to Psalm 31:14–15: I am trusting you, O Lord. My future is in your hands. If I don’t get what I want, do I really want it—especially if God has something better I can’t see yet?

So, here’s where I’m landing today: I won’t postpone joy until the circumstances behave. I won’t wait to breathe until the next offer comes through. Life is too short to keep happiness on layaway. God is writing a story that’s bigger than this chapter, and the journey itself is shaping me into who I’m meant to be. I’m choosing to trust the One who knows the map, the timing, and every hidden turn. He will do for me what I cannot do for myself. And while He does, I’ll walk—one faithful step at a time—confident that the destination is already secure in His hands.