Trusting God in Disappointment: Finding Hope in the Wait
“You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” —John 13:7 (NIV)
There are stories we love to hear—
Stories of miraculous healing, breakthroughs after long battles, and closed doors that led to the perfect open ones.
They remind us that God sees us, that He moves on our behalf.
The Stories We Don’t Share as Often
But what about the other stories?
The ones where the illness doesn’t go away.
The grief stays heavy.
The prayer isn’t answered the way we asked.
It’s here, in this tension, that many of us wrestle:
Why does God heal some but not all?
Why does He allow certain pain to remain?
Why doesn’t He explain what He’s doing?
I’ve found myself praying for answers and hearing silence instead. I’ve longed for clarity and received mystery. But woven through it all has been something deeper: an invitation to trust.
Even when I don’t understand, God is still sovereign.
Even when I feel disappointed, He hasn’t abandoned me.
Even when I don’t get the healing I asked for, He still brings restoration in other ways.
What I’m Learning
My life isn’t full in spite of the disappointments—
It’s full because of them.
Because in the waiting, I’ve met the Comforter.
In the unanswered questions, I’ve learned to cling to hope.
In the sorrow, I’ve tasted the kind of joy that doesn’t depend on circumstances.
God isn’t afraid of our questions. He doesn’t shame us for our confusion. But He does ask us to trust Him, even when we can’t trace Him.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” —Isaiah 55:8–9 (NIV)
A Prayer for the Disappointed Heart
God, I don’t always understand what You allow, and I don’t always like it. But I choose to trust that You are good, even when life doesn’t feel good. Thank You for being sovereign over what I can’t see and present in what I can’t fix. Help me believe that my story is still full—even in the heartbreak. Amen.
Meet the Author
Rasha Gardner
Rasha is a licensed mental health therapist and mama who knows that clinging to Jesus in the thick of motherhood is essential. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and children and does her best to soak up the sweet, fleeting days with her little ones.
She writes at @heldinthehard, a space (think online journal!) where gospel truth meets real life—motherhood, mental health, and all the in-betweens. You can also find her sharing mental health tips, hope, and encouragement over on her professional Instagram at @rashagardnercounseling.
