When the Outcome Isn’t What You Expected

You obeyed.
You prayed.
You trusted.
And then… it didn’t turn out the way you imagined.

What do you do when obedience doesn’t lead to the outcome you hoped for?

Maybe the ministry didn’t grow.
Maybe the relationship didn’t heal.
Maybe the opportunity closed.
Maybe you felt alone in your yes.

It’s in these moments we find out what our obedience was really rooted in.

“Obedience is not a transaction; it’s a transformation. God isn’t after results. He’s after your heart.”
– A Pace of Grace, Chapter 5

Sometimes we obey hoping it will produce something visible—something we can measure. But God is often doing something invisible.
Something eternal.

He’s forming you.
Training your trust.
Building your endurance.
And teaching you how to walk by faith, not by outcome.

“God isn’t only working through your obedience—He’s working in you as you obey.”

The fruit may not look like what you expected.
But that doesn’t mean your yes was wasted.

You never know what God is protecting you from, preparing you for, or producing behind the scenes.

So don’t let a disappointing outcome convince you that God didn’t move.
He did.
He is.
And He will.

Because obedience that honors Him always bears fruit.
Even if it takes a while to see.

Reflect + Respond:

• Has obedience ever led you somewhere unexpected?

• What did you learn about God—or about yourself—in that process?

Don’t measure the worth of your obedience by the size of the outcome.
Measure it by the nearness of your Savior.

Scripture for the Week:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
—Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)

💛 From the Pages of A Pace of Grace

This post wraps up our August Called series, inspired by Chapter 5 of my upcoming book, A Pace of Grace.
Because grace doesn’t always show up in the result—
Sometimes, it shows up in the middle of your yes.

Coming February 2026 from Leafwood Publishers.

The Joy Hidden in Saying Yes

There’s a surprising joy that lives on the other side of obedience. Not the kind that’s loud or flashy—but the kind that feels like peace in your bones. Like knowing you’re right where you’re supposed to be.

But here’s the thing: joy doesn’t always show up before the step. Sometimes, joy is the fruit that grows after obedience has taken root.

“I used to think obedience was about giving something up. But I’ve learned that it’s actually about gaining something better. Joy follows obedience like sunrise after night.”
– A Pace of Grace, Chapter 5

We often picture obedience as a sacrifice. And yes—sometimes it is.
It might mean surrendering comfort, control, or clarity.
It might mean showing up when you’re tired, or saying yes when you’d rather hide.
But it’s in those very places that God begins to reveal the joy He’s been preparing all along.

I’ve said yes to things that felt bigger than me.
And I’ve said yes to things that felt too small to matter.
But again and again, I’ve discovered that when I follow the whisper of God’s voice,
He meets me with peace.
He multiplies the fruit.
He brings the kind of joy I could never create on my own.

“Obedience is not a life of deprivation. It’s an invitation to live fully aligned with the God who knows how to care for your soul.”

So if God is nudging you toward something today—big or small—don’t wait for the feeling to follow.
Take the step.
The joy may not come first, but it will come.

Reflect + Respond:

• Is there a step of obedience you’ve been avoiding because it feels uncomfortable or uncertain?

• What joy might be waiting on the other side of your yes?

Ask God to meet you there. He’s already ahead of you in the outcome.

Scripture for the Week:

“Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.”
—Psalm 126:5 (NIV)

💛 From the Pages of A Pace of Grace

This post is inspired by Chapter 5 of my upcoming book, A Pace of Grace: Steady Your Spirit When Life Gets Messy—coming February 2026 from Leafwood Publishers.
Because the joy of obedience isn’t a feeling.
It’s the quiet confidence that you’re walking with God—even when the path is unknown.

Discerning God’s Call in Real Life

There’s this old quote from F.B. Meyer that says,

“God’s impressions within and His Word without are always corroborated by His providence around, and we should quietly wait until these three focus into one point… You will become so sure that you are right, when God’s three witnesses concur, that you could not be surer though an angel beckoned you.”

I’ve got to be honest—I’m not sure I’ve ever seen glowworms light my path (like Meyer suggests), but I have seen God's confirmation show up in the most surprising and sacred ways.

Through my time in ministry, I’ve never been more confident in recognizing the voice and movement of God. That’s not to say I never question or wrestle with uncertainty—because I do. There are still days when the next step feels foggy. But when I know… I know. And it’s unmistakable.

I’ve been blessed with a team who sees the fruit when I take the steps God puts on my heart. I’ve had people encourage me even when it doesn’t make sense in the moment—only to watch it all come together in ways we never could’ve orchestrated ourselves.

It’s those moments that leave me in awe all over again.

Isn’t it amazing how, when we take a step of obedience—trusting that it was God who nudged us—we start seeing that same message in Scripture, hearing it in conversation, getting asked the very questions we’ve been praying about? And then, as if out of nowhere, God moves powerfully, gently confirming, “Yes, this was Me.”

That’s what F.B. Meyer was getting at. God speaks through His Word, through His Spirit within us, and through the circumstances around us. When all three line up, it’s like a divine spotlight on the path ahead.

“God’s impressions within and His Word without are always corroborated by His providence around, and we should quietly wait until these three focus into one point… You will become so sure that you are right, when God’s three witnesses concur, that you could not be surer though an angel beckoned you.”

— F.B. Meyer

But here’s the challenge:
We won’t always be able to explain it.
It won’t always make sense at first.
It might even look a little “weird” to others.

That doesn’t mean we’re wrong.
It just means we’re walking by faith.

So let’s not be so focused on figuring out how the story ends that we miss the step-by-step beauty of what God is doing. Let’s not cling so tightly to our own plans that we overlook His unfolding one. Because He isn’t just working through the outcome—He’s forming us through the process.

God is raising up people—women like you and me—with a call that may look different than expected, but is deeply rooted in His heart and His Word. We don’t need to have all the answers. We need only to surrender, listen, and obey. The same God who calls will carry it to completion.

So if you’re in a place of wondering whether you heard Him right—pause. Pray. Get in the Word. Seek wise counsel. Watch what God does. His fingerprints are often all over the thing we weren’t even sure about.

And when those three witnesses—His voice within, His Word without, and His providence around—start to align… move forward in faith.

You may not see glowworms lighting the way,
but you will see His glory.

This post kicks off our August blog series: "Called."
Whether you're just beginning to wonder what your calling is, in the thick of obeying a word that doesn’t make sense yet, or waiting for confirmation—it’s for you.

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