With a world and a country in utter turmoil, we wonder what we should do. The answer takes me back a decade ago to two conversations that forever changed my view of challenging times.

The first conversation was heart-wrenching. My good friend and co-worker, Lori, walked into my office in utter despair and cried out, “I’m desperate! Tim, you have to pray for my sister. She has cancer with only weeks to live. I’m so scared. We need a miracle. It’s our only hope!”  So we did the only thing we could do in that dark moment – we prayed. And as best we could, we trusted God.

A couple weeks later, after much prayer and my sometimes waffling faith, I was shocked at what happened next. Lori bounded into my office. With tears streaming and countenance glowing, she proclaimed, “Tim, guess what. My sister’s cancer is gone! Completely! The doctors can’t explain it, but we know why. It’s God! It’s totally God! He’s so amazing! Thank you so much for praying. Can you believe it?!”

After we talked and unashamedly praised God together, Lori left. Then I sat in utter awe, silently pondering what had just happened. You hear about miracles like that, but this time, God let me be a partner in praying boldly for a miracle that doctors could not explain.

Lori’s sister didn’t deserve terminal cancer nor did she earn miraculous healing. She was simply the beneficiary of God’s grace. She was proof that God is in control, and we are not.

I also learned another invaluable lesson that day . . . a lesson that still helps me find peace when the world, or at least my world, doesn’t make sense. God taught me that amidst both utter awe and utter desperation, we can hold to one constant – the character to trust. Therefore, I emailed Lori these thirteen words, which God has used to sustain me through my own trials over the years:

Sometimes we stand in awe.

Sometimes we kneel in desperation.

Always we trust.

We can’t control life, but we can trust God to walk with us. We can’t control our health, but we can trust God to heal us or to teach us what we need to get through it. And we can’t control a world and country in utter turmoil, but we can trust God, who puts rulers in place (Romans 13:1) and directs their steps (Proverbs 16:9). For indeed, “The king’s heart is in the hands of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes” (Proverbs 21:1).

We can trust the Creator, even if we can’t understand His creation. We can trust His answers, even if we can’t ask the right questions. And we can trust His lessons, even if we don’t have a clue what they may be. For when death knocks, cancer returns, money disappears, kids wander, spouses quit, friends betray, or leaders disappoint, we can do one thing . . . we can trust.

Trust sustains. Trust endures. Trust enlivens. Trust lifts. Trust cradles. Trust strengthens. Trust humbles. Trust inspires. And trust hones, especially when we don’t know what else to do.

So, what do we do when everything around us doesn’t make sense. We trust. Whether standing in awe or kneeling in desperation, we can live the truth of those three eternity-changing words:

Always we trust.

Questions: What should you surrender and start trusting God to control? Who in your world needs to know that you’re praying and trusting God to do what only He can do for them?