We’ve all been there. The moment when you get the phone call. The urgent email that pops up at the top of your inbox. The conversation that ended in a way nobody saw coming. One moment, everything is fine and normal. In the blink of an eye, the world becomes different. The landscape you once knew so well appears like new territory.
It’s like “mirror mode” on Mario Kart. You think you know the course you’re on, turning left and right at the sharpest angles. But when you take a closer look, everything is actually in reverse. Just when you thought you were leading the race, you wind up stuck along the sideline.
Unexpected change. When it comes to this topic, I’ve become an expert. The life I knew 15 months ago barely resembles my routines of today. Maybe we share some of these in common. If that relationship ended without a warning. Or if your closest friends took different paths. Maybe your gym closed (multiple times) and you lost touch with that community. Or maybe your responsibilities at work changed…or you left your job for a new endeavor.
Maybe your story is different. Maybe you moved into a new home or your finances aren’t what they once were. Maybe it’s a situation with your family or a health issue. Whatever the change is, we can stand united in the space between what was and what will be.
I wish there was an easy explanation and an even better solution. While we may never know “why” and we may never agree with the circumstance, we can trust that God is a God of new things (Isaiah 43:18-19; Revelation 21:4-5). If we were to remain in our comfort zones, we wouldn’t need to have faith. This transition, regardless of how shocking, is an invitation to go deeper in trusting God. While it may not feel like a party, you will find reasons to celebrate His goodness on the journey. You won’t be able to cultivate a new calling when you’re confined to complacency.
The most challenging part of unexpected change is that we never see it coming. It’s hard to receive and cope with the surprising news as the world keeps spinning. Here are 4 things you can do when circumstances feel beyond your control.
1. Pray
Prayer is how we communicate with God. It sounds basic, yet it’s so easy to forget that it’s not a one-way conversation. Tell God your every thought, question, concern, and emotion. But don’t end it there. Listen for His leading. He speaks to us in different ways; be expectant for a response, even if it wasn’t what you anticiapted. Don’t just use prayer as a laundry list of requests. God wants a personal relationship with you. He doesn’t just want to hear from you. He wants to speak to you. Are you ready to listen?
If you feel stuck, pray Scripture. Talk to God about His promises that will anchor you in the winds of the unknown. Psalm 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Let God’s Word be the only word that guides you. Let His truth be the path you choose. Let His Word illuminate the way.
2. Process
It’s not healthy to move through significant transitions and suppress or ignore how you feel. With every “yes” to one opportunity, there is a “no” on the other side. Give yourself space to grieve what was lost – time, money, opportunities, friendships – so you can be present and celebrate the gains when you are ready. Not when the world forces you to be ready…but when you are ready.
Process your feelings with God. Journaling is my favorite, but you may find other creative outlets like creating artwork, even more helpful to express and process your emotions.
Grieve what was lost as you transition into what’s next. Scripture tells us:
“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) As you grieve, the Lord will comfort you. He is the God of ALL comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). Jesus even calls us blessed when we mourn, because we will be comforted (Matthew 5:4). It’s a promise: He will comfort you.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3, ESV) Not only will the Lord comfort you, but He will heal you! Bring your pain and your hurt to Him. Bring your disappointments, your grief, any confusion to Him. He wants to make you whole, fully equipped to enter this season with joy, if you allow Him to.
You can also invite a trusted person or wise counsel into this process. Galatians 6:2 tells us to bear one another’s burdens, not so we do the work for each other, but so we can support each other in managing what feels overwhelming. This isn’t a place to gossip or cause drama. It should be a safe place to get support on what you’re going through.
It’s also important to keep the perspective that this is all temporary. All of it. For right now, this is where God has you…we get to spend eternity in heaven. The struggles will pass.
3. Prepare as you can
The challenging part of unexpected change is that you can’t really prepare for it. I personally need to be ready in advance, as best as I can, to handle a situation well. And while we can’t brace ourselves fully for what we don’t know, we can move forward in a way that supports our needs.
When the news hits, anticipate what you can. Not to obsess over the potential outcomes, but to get an idea of what to expect. With my new job, for example, I was stunned. I was overwhelmed with the change, so I considered my future schedule, time commitments, and financial changes. You might make a list or an organizer to weigh the options and visualize potential outcomes.
Proverbs 24:27 says “Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.” If and when we know what to expect, we can position ourselves to be ready for the work ahead of us. We can’t prepare for what we are unaware of; however, we can plan for change once we know it’s coming.
It’s also important to revisit and set boundaries for your commitments. With the changes now up ahead, your life may look different. You might not be able to give as much or serve as much as before, or maybe you can increase in some way. Prepare by establishing reasonable boundaries, guidelines you can realistically stick to, so you don’t feel too overwhelmed or burned out. When someone close unexpectedly walked away from me, I had to realign my boundaries with what I could handle through a season of debilitating depression. When I healed, I was able to take on more responsibilities again.
4. Pre-Determine to focus on today
Decide now that this unexpected change coming will not steal your present day from you. While preparing can be a good approach, don’t let it become your primary focus. Consider your options, give it to God, and let it go. There’s that saying “God gives us today grace” because He doesn’t frontload tomorrow’s grace on you. He wants you to appreciate and live in today. While preparing for tomorrow can be smart, God designed this day for us to live in today.
In Matthew 6:34, Jesus tells us “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” He doesn’t tell us to not be prepared (as I mentioned above). He warns us to not worry about it. We can be prepared for tomorrow, while remaining relaxed today. Psalm 118:24 says “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” God has given us today as a gift. He hasn’t yet given us tomorrow, and we can’t receive it early, even if He has prepared it already. So let’s choose to be joyful in the now.
Moving Forward:
When God brings you into something new, whether or not you see it coming, you can enter into it with confidence. He is with you, He is leading you, and He will bring you through it. Never once will you be alone. You’ll find that as you pray and as you process, as you prepare and pre-determine to focus on today, God is – and always has been – providing for you. Even if you don’t see it yet, pay attention to the details. God is in all of them.
How are you handling unexpected changes in your life? Comment below if you follow these steps, or others, as you navigate the unknown!
Consider the Joy 
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