Trusting God in the Plot Twists of Life
How to Keep Moving Forward When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned
On Monday, we talked about how you’re not just reading a story—you’re living it. But what happens when the story you thought you were stepping into suddenly has a plot twist?
What do you do when you feel like your calling has been cut short, delayed, or has completely taken an unexpected turn?
Do you assume it’s over and just keep moving forward, existing rather than truly living?
I’ve wrestled with this very thing.
You see, I had a plan. A calling I was sure of. A story I thought I was supposed to live. But life threw a plot twist I never saw coming.
My Story: When Your Calling Takes an Unexpected Turn
When I was 15 years old, I felt the Lord call me to missions. Now, you’d think that would be obvious—after all, my parents were missionaries to Spain, and I grew up on the mission field. But this wasn’t about following in their footsteps. This was a deep, personal calling that I knew in my spirit was real.
Fast forward to 1997-1998—that calling began stirring in me again. But there was one glaring problem:
I had $22,000 in medical debt.
And if you know anything about missions, you know that applying with debt is a no-go. You have to enter the field financially free.
So naturally, logic said it wasn’t possible. But God had a different story to write.
Over the course of a year, through a series of unexpected blessings, that entire debt was completely wiped out. By 1999, my ex-husband and I were officially approved as missionaries to Ireland.
I thought, This is it. This is the story I was meant to live.
And for a while, it was.
But then, in 2002, everything changed.
We had only been on the field for two years when our entire world crumbled. Before we even stepped foot in Ireland, five separate prophetic words had warned us that we would face an intense season of hardship once we arrived. And they weren’t wrong.
It got so bad that the only real solution was to return to the States.
We boarded a plane and walked right back into youth ministry at a great church in Oklahoma City. But the wounds were deep.
I was perplexed, hurt, and asking the ‘why’ questions.
Why would God pave a wide-open path for us to become missionaries, perform a financial miracle, and send us overseas… only for it to all come to a screeching halt two years in?
For several years, I wrestled with it.
And honestly? I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand it all and I’m ok with that.
But what I do know is this: I trust God fully.
The Day God Changed My Perspective
Even though I had moved forward, I couldn’t shake the feeling of loss.
I was called to missions—so why was I living in America?
One day in 2007, I sat in my car, having a full-blown heart-to-heart (more like a meltdown) with Jesus. Tears were streaming down my face as I struggled to understand these American people I was ministering to.
I didn’t fit in.
I never had.
I always felt like I was on the outside looking in.
And then I heard the Lord whisper something into my spirit:
"Tracee, you know what to do."
I shot back, “Really? Because I have yet to figure it out.”
Then He said something that wrecked me in the best way possible:
"The same way you lived as a missionary overseas is the same mindset you need to have here. Treat your situation like you're a missionary."
And in that moment, it hit me—this is my mission field.
I spent my entire childhood in Spain. My church experience, life experiences, my culture—everything about me was shaped by growing up as a missionary kid.
For me, America was the foreign country.
The mission field wasn’t about location—it was about calling.
And God never removed my calling—He simply helped me to see it through His eyes, not mine. To me, the mission field was a foreign country when all along, it was America.
How to Step Into Your Own God Story
Maybe you’re in a season where you feel like the story God was writing isn’t happening the way you expected. Maybe you’re questioning where you fit. Maybe you feel like the dream God put in your heart got canceled.
But let me tell you something—God doesn’t cancel callings.
So how do you engage in the story He’s writing for you?
1. Start Talking to the Lord (Real, Unfiltered Prayer)
Not just churchy prayers—real ones.
Example: Instead of “God, bless my day” → try “God, I don’t understand this chapter of my life, but I trust You. Show me what to do.”
2. Say YES to Small Steps of Faith
Stop waiting for big moments—faith is built through small acts of obedience.
What’s one thing God has been nudging you to do?
3. Engage with God’s Word Like It’s Speaking to YOU
Every time you read scripture, ask: “How does this apply to my life right now?”
4. Look for God in the Ordinary
He speaks through conversations, moments, and unexpected detours.
Sometimes, the shift in your story is the setup for something greater.
5. Stop Letting Fear Edit Your Story
How many times have you held back because of fear?
God didn’t write timidity into your story—He wrote boldness, faith, and purpose.
Psalm 139:16 (NLT) – “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”
Whether you’re in a season where everything feels uncertain, or maybe the dreams you once held onto feel faded or even forgotten. Or, it could be that you feel you’re standing at a crossroads, unsure of what’s next.
I want to remind you of this truth:
Your story hasn’t been canceled.
God is still writing, still leading, still moving. And sometimes, when we think the chapter is closing, it’s actually a setup for something bigger.
So today, step into your God story right where you are.
Shift your mindset. Treat your surroundings like your mission field.
Say yes to the small steps of faith in front of you.
Engage with God’s Word as if He’s speaking directly to you—because He is.
Stop waiting for the perfect moment—live in obedience today to what God has put right in front of you.
You don’t have to wait for a better season.
You don’t have to figure it all out first.
You don’t have to undo the past before stepping into the future.
God is still writing your story, and He’s not finished yet.
Walk forward with boldness.
Live out the story He’s written for you.
And embrace every single moment as part of His greater plan.