God Had Been Leading All Along | Larry Renfro

God Had Been Leading All Along | Larry Renfro

There was a season in my life where everything seemed to fall apart at once. I returned home after not finishing my education, newly married but already feeling defeated. Then loss hit even deeper. My brother and his wife passed away, leaving behind a 14-month-old child. Around that same time, I went through multiple jobs, and even a stretch with no job at all. It was a heavy season, and if I’m honest, there were times it felt like punishment.

That was my “40.” And yet, even in that season, God didn’t stop working.

While I was struggling internally, questioning and carrying grief, God was still using my wife and me. I was teaching an adult Sunday school class, singing in an Easter musical, and starting a home Bible study. My wife was faithfully serving too—helping in the nursery and leading in our county Right to Life. In the middle of loss and uncertainty, God also blessed us with three children.

Looking back, it didn’t make sense at the time. I felt defeated, but God was still moving.

The turning point came years later. After nearly ten years of carrying that sense of calling, I went to our pastor and told him I still felt drawn to ministry. I didn’t know what that looked like, but I knew it hadn’t gone away. His response surprised me. He had just received a letter from a children’s home looking for house parents.

We stepped through that door. That moment changed everything.

Through Scripture, through people, through prayer, and through circumstances, God made it clear that He had been leading us all along. What felt like wasted time or detours were actually preparation.

What changed wasn’t just our situation—it was our understanding. We were no longer looking at our past as something to regret, but something God had used to shape us for where He was calling us.

Now, I can look back with no regrets, only gratitude. There’s no way to fully explain all the ways God prepared and refined us for ministry, but I can see His hand in all of it.

If you’re still in your “40,” I would ask you this: is it possible God is shaping you and preparing you for something you can’t yet see?

From the 41 Series

When David walked onto the battlefield, it looked sudden to everyone else.

A shepherd boy arrives.
A giant falls.
A nation celebrates.

But what nobody saw were all the quiet seasons beforehand.

The fields. The loneliness. The ordinary days.
The private battles. The years of preparation no one applauded.

And often, that’s how God works in our lives too.

We tend to focus on the visible moments—the breakthroughs, the victories, the answered prayers. But many times, God has been shaping, preparing, and leading us long before we recognize what He is doing.

Noah spent years building the ark before the rain ever came.
Elijah spent years in the wilderness before stepping onto Mount Carmel.
David fought lions and bears in obscurity before facing Goliath publicly.

“What was true of God, is always true of God.”

He is faithful in the hidden seasons too.

Sometimes we look back and suddenly realize that moments we once viewed as delays, interruptions, or detours were actually preparation. God was teaching us dependence, humility, perseverance, and trust long before we understood why.

And often our “41” is not discovering that God finally started working. It’s realizing He had been faithfully leading us all along.

Scripture Encouragement

• Psalm 37:23–24

• Proverbs 16:9

• Romans 8:28

Reflect & Respond

What resonated most with you in Larry’s story? Why?

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Have there been seasons that once felt insignificant or frustrating but later proved meaningful?

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Looking back, where can you now see God’s guidance or preparation in your life?

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How can you trust God more fully in the “hidden” or uncertain seasons you may be in right now?__________________________________________________________________________

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Prayer

Father, thank You for faithfully leading me even in seasons where I could not clearly see what You were doing. Help me trust that You are still working through the ordinary, difficult, and hidden moments of life.

Teach me to remain faithful in every season and remind me that nothing surrendered to You is wasted. Give me patience to trust Your timing and confidence that You are guiding my steps with wisdom and purpose.

Thank You for always being present, even when I did not fully recognize it.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Share Hope

Many people wonder if the quiet or difficult seasons of life have any real purpose. As you reflect on Larry’s story, consider sharing it with someone who may need the reminder that God is often doing His deepest work long before we fully understand it.