And I realized that God hadn't abandoned me. I'd simply stopped trusting him. I thought my life had to be one way to be happy—but maybe . . ." He shook his head. "Maybe there is more for me. For us.

The difference is Gabe lets God fight his battles. He lets God work in people's lives, and he lets them be human. Trusting God protects him, gives him the courage to risk opening his heart and let out love. He knows he is safely in God's shelter. He won't crumble if your father, or even you, let him down. God will hold him up.

You've always spent your life looking forward, the destination in mind. But faith is stepping forward without knowing the destination. Your job, as a warrior of the Lord, is to listen. To walk in faith.

I'm saying that we don't know how God protects us. How he is there for us, but he is. We live our life seeing only our perspective—seeing our circumstances and judging God by what happens to us. But what if we judged God by what didn't happen to us? What if we started asking . . . God, what is your view? What did you protect me from?

God always answers. It's just a matter of how.

And hello, maybe you're exactly where you are supposed to be...maybe God used your issues to give you exactly what you wanted.

What if your story is better than you imagined and by holding on, you're only creating the ending you can see?...God has a bigger plan for you than you do for yourself.

That's not the answer. We don't stop living life just because bad things can, or will, happen. We just keep going forward, trusting in God's plan for us, even if bad things happen. God is still there, still in control. Still saving us. Still protecting us.

Somewhere there is a map of how it can be done.

What is qualified? What have I been qualified for in my life? I haven't been qualified to be a mayor. I'm not qualified to be a songwriter. I'm not qualified to be a TV producer. I'm not qualified to be a successful businessman. And so, I don't know what qualified means.

We all have dreams, whether it be about success in our careers, improving our relationship with family and friends, or sorting out our finances.

How important it is to ascertain the will of God, before we undertake anything, because we are then not only blessed in our own souls, but also the work of our hands will prosper.