The Fingerprints Were There All Along

"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." – Proverbs 16:9 (NLT).

If you've been reading Holy Hustle from the beginning, then you know this blog has never been about pretending life is perfect.

It's been about inviting you into the middle of the story.

The unanswered prayers.

The waiting.

The tears.

The laughter.

The moments when I've asked God, "What are You doing?"

And the moments when He's gently reminded me, "Trust Me."

The waiting isn't over.

There are still prayers I'm praying.

There are still dreams I'm trusting God with.

But today, I want to pause and look back because I've realized something...

Sometimes you don't have to reach the destination before you start recognizing God's fingerprints.

This past year has looked nothing like I imagined.

One of the greatest gifts God gave me and one of the hardest assignments He ever entrusted me with, was homeschooling my daughter, Melody.

If I'm being completely honest, we didn't have it all figured out.

Actually... there were days we wondered what in the world we had gotten ourselves into.

There were lesson plans that took longer than expected.

Days when math felt impossible.

Moments when we both needed a reset.

Thankfully, God knew exactly what we needed.

He provided us with an incredible virtual teacher who encouraged Melody, answered my endless questions, celebrated every victory, and somehow made what felt overwhelming become manageable. Looking back now, I don't see her as a coincidence. I see her as one of God's fingerprints.

What I thought would simply be a school year became something so much more.

I got to know my daughter in ways I never would have if life had continued as planned.

I saw her strengths.

I saw her frustrations.

I celebrated her victories.

I sat beside her through the hard days.

And somewhere between spelling tests and math lessons, we started having conversations that no textbook could have prepared me for.

"Mom... why did I have to be homeschooled?"

"Why can't I be with my friends?"

As a mom, those questions broke my heart.

I wanted to fix it.

I wanted to have an answer that would make everything make sense.

Instead, God reminded me that my job wasn't to have all the answers.

It was to point her to the One who does.

So, we prayed.

Not just when things got hard.

We prayed when we were disappointed.

We prayed when we didn't understand.

We prayed when we felt forgotten.

Little by little, I watched something beautiful happen.

Our prayers became less about asking God to change our circumstances and more about trusting Him in the middle of them.

That may not sound like a big difference...

...but it changed everything.

As the school year came to an end, we prepared for the moment we had been waiting for. 

Melody completed her assessments to return to the school that had been her home for six years.

We prayed.

We believed.

We hoped.

She was even allowed to try out for the cheer team, and she made the team! Now all we needed was for a spot at the school to open before the deadline.

No pressure, right?

Apparently, God hadn't checked our calendar.

I've learned something about God over the years.

He has never once looked at my timeline and said, "You know what? That's a great idea. Let's go with your schedule."

God has always operated on... well... God time.

And if you've ever waited on Him, you know exactly what I mean.

Then the email came.

There wasn't a spot.

We were back on the waitlist.

Back where we started.

As her mom, watching her heartbreak was one of the hardest parts of this journey. 

I wanted to fix it.

I wanted to make the waiting disappear.

Instead, we prayed.

And somehow...

even through the disappointment...

there was peace.

Not because we had the answer.

But because somewhere along the way, God had done something greater than changing our circumstances.

He had changed us.

And that's where I want to pause.

Because sometimes, before God changes your situation, He changes your heart.

Sometimes He teaches you to recognize His fingerprints long before you reach the destination.

And once you begin seeing them... you realize He has been with you every step of the way.

If you're in a waiting season, don't be so focused on the destination that you miss the evidence of God's presence along the way. His fingerprints may be closer than you think.

Until next time...

Raquel

"Faith isn't just believing God for the miracle, it's learning to recognize Him while you're still waiting."