I was recently reminded of something profound, and a little humbling.
A situation arose with a sibling that weighed heavily on my heart. When my sister reached out asking for prayer, my siblings and I immediately circled around in support, lifting the concern before the Lord, asking God to move in a mighty way. We carried the burden together, trusting God to intervene, to guide, to help—trusting His intervention beyond our fears.
An hour later, a message came: All was well.
“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”—Psalm 145:18 (ESV)
What had seemed daunting and overwhelming had been resolved far more gently than expected. Relief flooded our hearts, and so did gratitude. But what truly stayed with me were the words my brother shared afterward:
“Could it be that God modified the situation in answer to prayer? Or did we simply ‘awfulize’ it?”
What a truth.
Awfulizing Our Circumstances
How often do we “awfulize” our circumstances? Expecting the worst, rehearsing potential outcomes, and stacking up fears in our minds until they loom larger than reality? As a family friend so simply put it, we sometimes create mountains out of molehills in our imaginations. It’s part of being human. We anticipate hardship because we know the world is broken, and because, deep down, we know we are not in control.
Yet, even as we worry, God is already at work.
Did God Intervene?
It’s possible God intervened before the situation ever unfolded. He may have softened hearts, redirected conversations, or provided peace where tension threatened. His sovereign hand could have been moving unseen, responding to prayers even as they were whispered. Psalm 145:18 reminds us that the Lord is near—listening, acting, moving according to His perfect wisdom and immense love for His children.
And so, whether the situation was never as dire as we imagined, or whether God shifted the path in response to prayer, the answer remains the same: He was faithful.
He heard.
He cared.
He moved. Either within our hearts, our circumstances, or both.
Today, I’m offering a prayer of thanks not just for the outcome, but for the God who walks with us through every “what if,” who listens to every urgent whisper, and who holds every outcome in His capable, loving hands.
Next time anxiety begins to spiral, let’s pause and remember:
We serve a God who is not only able, but present.
We don’t walk into the unknown alone.
Instead of awfulizing, let’s faith-ize.
Let’s imagine—not the worst—but the God who is bigger than whatever we fear.
Prayer
Father, thank You that You hear us when we call. Thank You for moving in ways we can see and in ways we may never fully understand. When we are tempted to awfulize, remind us that You are already at work. Teach us to trust in Your sovereign love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
God is good. There is never a time that He is not acting. Saw a quote that said, “Ninety percent of the things I worry about never happen……so Worrying works.” God delights in you.
So true. There is never a time he isn’t acting!