Finding Faith, Hope, and Love in the Unexpected

Are you smack dab in the midst of unexpected challenges, something you never saw coming? Are you yearning for more? If so, you are not alone. Whether it’s a diagnosis, deep disappointment, or a heart-wrenching detour, finding faith may feel impossible. And yet, let me assure you, in life’s most unexpected places, faith, hope, and love can still be found.

And it all begins with choice.

You May Feel Powerless, But You’re Not Without Choice 

Perhaps today, you feel helpless, as if life is happening to you, and all you can do is hang on. But friend, although we are humanly limited, we are not powerless. 

We still have a choice in how we will persevere through the unthinkable. Will we cling to the chaos or reach out for the One who offers peace in the storm?

Although we are humanly limited, we are not powerless. We can choose how we will persevere through the unthinkable. #persevere #unexpectedcircumstances Share on X

What Kind of Faith, Hope, and Love

Let’s pause for a moment. I am not referring to the ordinary dictionary definitions of faith, hope, and love. Nor the shallow optimism that ignores pain, and certainly not the world’s version of “Love yourself first.”  
We are talking about the kind of faith, hope, and love you find rooted in  God—the kind that holds steady when the world shakes.

Why Do We Need Faith, Hope, and Love in Hard Seasons?

Faith Gives Us the Strength to Stand

Faith fuels us to do the impossible and endure the unimaginable.  Especially when unanticipated circumstances occur, we need a belief in something more powerful than us. After all, we have limits, and our human efforts won’t be enough. Only God can give us the strength we need.

For nothing will be impossible with God. 
(Luke 1:37 ESV)

Faith is more than believing in God—it’s trusting Him, even when life doesn’t make sense.

It’s choosing to say, “I believe you’re still good,” when the outcome hasn’t changed. Fatih won’t erase our pain, but it gives us the courage to take one more step. 

Faith won’t erase our pain, but it gives us the courage to take one more step when life doesn’t make sense. #Faith #TrustGod Share on X

Hope Anchors Us in the Storm

Our hope naturally flows from faith. Biblical hope isn’t merely a wish or desire that something good will happen. Hope confidently expects God to deliver even when we can’t see Him working.

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
(Hebrews 6:19 CSB)

Hope steadies us when waves crash hard and fast. It anchors our weary souls in the truth that something good can still come from our suffering, because God is good.

Hope isn’t shallow optimism. It’s the anchor that holds when everything around you is falling apart. #HopeAnchors #BiblicalHope Share on X

Love Sustains and Transforms Us

When we walk through the unexpected, we will need love, as we have never known before—unshakeable, unwavering, and unconditional—the love we find in Jesus.

“We love because He first loved us.”
 (I John 4:19 NIV)

When we walk through hardship, God’s love surrounds us and flows through us, especially when we don’t have it in ourselves to give.

Biblical hope isn’t wishful thinking—it’s a confident expectation that God will show up, even when we can’t see Him working. #HopeInGod #AnchoredHope Share on X

Where Do We Begin?

I remember sitting in my pastor’s office after mental illness shook our family to its core. He gently asked me a life-changing question.

 “Maree, will you trust God regardless of the outcome?”

Will you trust God no matter the outcome?” That one question changed everything. #FaithJourney #Surrender #trust Share on X

“Please don’t answer it now. Go home and ponder this question, and then choose upfront if you will trust God no matter what.”

So later that night, with a trembling voice, I said aloud these words.

“I will trust you, God, if healing comes, if illness remains, and even if death occurs.”

Those words didn’t fix my pain. But they gave me a place to begin—a declaration of surrender, of faith, of trust, and God began to carry me.

It starts with a choice to trust God completely.

That will lead to letting go of what we can’t control and giving it to the only One who can do the heavy lifting. But we must release our grip.

What Outcome Can We Expect?

I wish I could say that finding faith, hope, and love will wipe away the suffering and injustice of our circumstances. However, in my experience, it rarely does, and the pain persists even when God is at work in our situation.

However, what you can gain is unbelievable. Good things can happen out of a struggle when we embrace God. Plus, we are never alone.

When the Unthinkable Becomes Personal

Have you ever encountered circumstances when you knew they were beyond your capabilities or skill set? One where someone else’s well-being depended on you showing up, again and again?

My beautiful children developed a mental illness in their early teens. It was an unfamiliar world filled with anger, heartache, and shattered expectations. I found myself unable to wipe away their pain, and I felt like a failure.
We found care, but it required travel. Weekly, I boarded a plane, saying goodbye to my husband and other children, navigating unfamiliar places. Alone. Far from home. Holding on by a thread.

My visits were limited, therapy was excruciating, and my heart seemed as if it had broken into a million pieces.

Friends offered to come, but I declined. I wasn’t ready to let anyone into that sacred space of suffering. I wasn’t ready to see the sorrow in their eyes. This isolation felt unbearable at first.

And yet—God met me there.

Never Alone

In that cold, unfamiliar hotel room, God became my comforter. My encourager. My steady hand. When I cried after watching my child suffer with no visible improvement, He whispered:

“Don’t give up. I am with you. Nothing is beyond my power.

Even when professionals gave up, God said,

“There is hope, regardless of what anyone says.”

When you feel undone by the unexpected, remember: God is not. His love is steady, His strength is enough. #UnexpectedFaith #GodWithUs Share on X

Although I was physically alone, I was never truly alone. God and I walked together through those painful days.
We cried. We laughed (yes—even in sorrow, laughter came). And slowly, an intimacy with Jesus developed that I never knew possible. And I thought we were already close.

What started as devastation became sacred ground. God didn’t just get me through it. He changed me in it.

What started as devastation became sacred ground. God didn’t just get me through it. He changed me in it. #faith #change #unexpected Share on X

Blessings Hidden in the Hard

I wouldn’t wish mental illness on anyone. It is cruel, and the pain is tremendous for everyone. However, God brought blessings out of brokenness—blessings I wouldn’t have found otherwise. He indeed became my best friend.

I learned to love people with fewer conditions. I discovered a strength I never knew I had. And most importantly, I experienced God’s faithfulness in ways no easy season could’ve ever taught me. I began to live out faith, hope, and love in real time, not just as words, but as lifelines that sustained me. And He can do the same for you.

You’re not walking through this alone. Even when no one else sees, God is right there with you—faithful, loving, unshaken. #NeverAlone #FaithHopeLove Share on X

Finding Faith, Hope, & Love is a Choice

Let me be honest—my faith, hope, and love are far from perfect. I still step out in my strength more often than I care to admit. Sometimes, I forget the promises I once declared. And when I falter, I remind myself that I already decided long ago to trust Jesus.

We are not powerless in the face of the unexpected. We can choose how we respond. Will you reach for God’s hand or try to navigate alone? Will you rely on your strength or rest in His power? 

If you choose God, you’ll find a faith that holds firm, a hope that anchors, and a love that heals—even in the most unexpected places.

What helps you find faith, hope, and love in the unexpected? I’d love to hear from you.

 Please share in the comments or connect with me directly.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
(I Corinthians 13:13 NIV)

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Grace and Truth Christian Link-Up: Each Friday

Welcome to Grace and Truth: A Weekly Christian Blog Link-Up! Our mission is simple: to spread Jesus’ message through the power of words. Don’t forget that for every post you add, we ask that you read and comment on two.

Now Let’s Link-Up

To discover our hosts, details, and rules for our blog link-up, click here. Also, don’t forget to check our Pinterest board to see if one of your posts is featured.

Join our community of writers and readers at our Grace & Truth Christian Blog Link-Up as we uplift and inspire one another. #graceandtruth #graceandtruthbloglinkup #christianbloglinkup Share on X

📚 Go Deeper

👉 Guest Post: How to Grow the Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness

🎧 Podcast Episode: Living a Legacy with Sue Donaldson

I would love for you to listen in as my friend and I discuss living a legacy of trust that points to Jesus on her podcast. Click here.

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Finding Faith, Hope, and Love in the UnexpectedDiscover how to trust God when life turns upside down. #mareedee #embracingtheunexpected Share on X