Trust And Faith In The Unknown Road Ahead Of Us

[Note: Today’s guest blogger is Siobhan Potter. Siobhan is the Director of Religious Education and Family Ministry here at Spiritus. She is married to her husband, Mark, and has two children; Natalie and Callan. Siobhan grew up attending Corpus Christi since she was 10 and continued to attend after the split when Spiritus Christi started. She feels truly blessed to be a part of the staff at Spiritus and loves working with the children and families in this community. Thank you, Siobhan!]]

Many of us know that Lent is a season of deep trust and faith in the unknown road ahead of us. Just as Jesus spent 40 days with God in prayer, we are asked to remember this is a time to do the same.

In today’s Gospel reading from John 4, Jesus heals a royal official’s child who is ill. The man is told “You may go; your son will live,” and the man left without having “proof” that all would be well. It was only on his way home that he received word that his child was made well. This was an act of great faith.

We have all likely experienced moments when we need to trust – maybe even sometimes having a sinking feeling that the change we seek is impossible (as far as we can see). And as many of you have probably experienced yourself, anything is possible with God. The royal official believed in God’s ability to bring him a new way of life.

Just like his embrace of his faith and trusting in God, I am reminded of a beautiful reflection a friend shared with me many years ago called “The parable of the twins in the womb” by Dr. Wayne Dyer. In it, one twin fears what lies beyond the womb because everything familiar will be gone, while the other twin knows there MUST be something more…something more amazing than they could ever imagined. I believe many of us find ourselves feeling the same way.

Which twin’s thoughts resonate with you?

The twins in the womb struggled to imagine life without the cord that sustained them. They wondered how existence could continue once everything familiar disappeared. How often do we ask the same questions? We fear change, loss, uncertainty, or suffering because we cannot yet see what God sees. One twin doubted there was even a mother guiding their existence, while the other trusted that love must exist beyond what could be seen.

Lent places us in this similar space of questioning. We fast, pray, and reflect not because we fully understand God’s plan, but because we trust that beyond what we currently experience, something greater awaits. Just as birth was not an ending for the twins but a beginning, so too our moments of surrender often lead to unexpected and beautiful experiences.

Many of us have that natural human reaction – the reaction of being afraid of what we can’t see ahead of us – but God is always preparing something great for us. I have found that working with the children of Spiritus is that they understand and trust in ways a lot of us adults struggle with. When asked why trusting God can be difficult, one child in our religious education program wrote, “It’s hard to trust God sometimes because you want to know what is going to happen and its scary not knowing, but I always try to believe it’s going to be ok.” Faith is not always about big and amazing moments. It can often be about the choices we make to trust each day. We may want to always try to be in the driver’s seat, but sometimes we have to remember that God’s way works and God will lead us.

Another child shared, “Trusting God helps you believe you can do it even when it’s hard. God can be trusted when you feel lost.” Yet another explained that Jesus was an example for us during Lent by saying, “Jesus showed faith by giving up His body to help everyone else…even though he must have been scared.” Children recognize that faith goes deeper than just believing, but is rooted in love and sacrifice. Jesus Himself walked an uncertain road during his forty days in the desert and ultimately toward the cross. He did not avoid suffering; He trusted God through it.

Lent invites us to follow that same path — not with perfect understanding, but with faithful hearts. Our children at Spiritus remind us that our journey can be unknown and scary at times, but to continue to lean on God and trust with all we have like Jesus did.

What is your lent journey looking like so far?

Are you carrying worries that feel heavy and hard to manage?

Are you sitting with grief, feeling the need for healing?

Are you feeling uncertain about the future and what it might bring to
your life or experiences?

Lent is a time of hope and discovery, and here is some good news: God never leads us into darkness – and if it seems like you are in darkness, God is working behind the scenes, preparing light and promise for each of us. The unseen road does not have to be a lonely one. We have something so sacred that brings us into an intimate and close relationship with God.

We have a direct line to God. It’s not an app on your phone, it’s Prayer. Prayer becomes our lifeline, much like the cord described in the story. It helps sustains us until we are ready for what comes next. Slowly, through acts of patience, forgiveness, generosity, and trust, God allows us to see parts of the big picture. We begin to realize that faith is not about seeing the entire journey, but about taking the next faithful step in our lives.

As Easter approaches, Lent teaches us that endings are often disguised as new beginnings.

I invite you this Lent to live like the trusting twin. Live like the wonderful children in our community that trust God. None of us truly know what waits beyond our worries and struggles, but walking forward and knowing God is already there I believe is encouraging and brings peace. God always knows the road ahead. Just like new life waiting beyond birth, what God prepares for us may exceed anything we could have imagined.