When the World Moves On Without You
Lately I have been watching everyone around me step into new seasons. Some are getting married, some are building careers, some are moving into houses they dreamed about for years. And I feel like I am still standing in the same place, trying to figure out where I belong. It is a strange mix of emotions. I am genuinely happy for them, yet there is this quiet ache inside me that whispers, “Why not you?”
There are mornings when I wake up and it feels like the world has already started running while I am still tying my shoes. I scroll through my phone and see the highlight reels of lives that look so much more certain than mine. And then the questions start building. Did I miss something? Did I make the wrong choices? Did I fall behind in a race I didn’t even know I was running?
But in the middle of these thoughts, I have noticed something else happening. The more lost I feel, the more I keep reaching for Jesus. It is almost like the emptiness in me is creating more space for Him to fill. Instead of rushing ahead to prove myself or fix everything on my own, I find myself praying in small, simple ways. Sometimes all I can say is, “Be here with me.” And He always is.
I think we grow up believing that being “found” means having all the answers, or at least knowing the map of where we are headed. But with Jesus, being found looks more like walking with Him one step at a time. It looks like learning to trust that He knows the way, even when I don’t. It looks like realizing that being hidden for a season does not mean being forgotten.
When I slow down enough to notice, I see His hand in small details. A kind word from a friend on the exact day I needed it. A scripture that feels like it was written just for me. A quiet peace that settles in after a long day. These moments remind me that He is not asking me to catch up to the pace of the world. He is asking me to keep in step with Him.
And maybe being “behind” is not what it looks like at all. Maybe I am exactly where I need to be, learning how to lean on Him instead of leaning on my own understanding.
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.”
Psalm 37:23 (NLT)-
Jesus, thank You for meeting me here, even when I feel lost. Teach me to trust that Your timing is not slow, it is perfect. Remind me that I am never left behind when I am walking with You. Let my heart rest in the truth that being found in You is enough. Amen.
