What Felt Like Loss Became Part of a Greater Story | Christine Wernsing

There was a season when I thought the story of growing our family would look one way, and God kept saying no—or at least, not yet. After our first daughter, we were unable to conceive more children, and that grief could have left me feeling defeated. But instead, it drove me to seek the Lord. I believed He had placed the desire for more children in my heart for a reason, even if the path was not what I expected.

That was my “40”—learning to trust God when doors seemed closed, while holding onto the belief that He was still leading.

As I prayed and sought Him, I began to sense He was growing our family in a different way. Little by little, God started confirming His direction—through quiet time in His Word, through worship, through people He placed in my life, even through specific moments and opportunities I could not have orchestrated myself. I watched Him provide for adoptions, lead us into foster care, and bring children into our family in ways that felt undeniably guided by His hand. And then, in ways I never expected, He even provided biological children too.

What I thought was loss became part of a much greater story.

What changed wasn’t just our family size. My heart changed. My faith deepened. I began to understand that what I once saw as infertility, God was using for impact—for children in need, for families, for His kingdom, and for His glory.

Now I look around at our family and I am overwhelmed. I cannot imagine life without any one of these children. What I once grieved became one of the clearest places I have seen God’s faithfulness.

God was writing a greater story than the one I was trying to write for myself.

If you are still in your “40,” keep following His leading. Even when you cannot see what He is doing, He is working. Stay close to Him. Trust Him through the closed doors as much as the open ones. What He has planned may be different than what you imagined—but it may be far better too.

From the 41 Series

Noah entered the ark believing God was preserving life, but he could not fully see everything God was preparing on the other side of the flood.

That’s often how waiting seasons feel.

We pray. We hope. We ask God to open doors. And when those doors remain closed, it can feel confusing, painful, and deeply personal. Especially when the desire itself seems good. But one of the hardest truths we learn in the wilderness is that God’s “not yet” is not the same as God’s absence.

Sometimes God is leading us toward something different than what we originally imagined. Not because He is withholding good from us, but because He sees a greater story than we can currently understand.

That’s what makes trust so difficult.

We often want clarity before obedience but God frequently asks us to follow Him before we can fully see where He is leading. And over time, we begin to realize that the closed doors, delays, and unexpected paths were not random interruptions. They became part of how God shaped our hearts, deepened our faith, and expanded our understanding of His purpose.

“What felt like isolation was actually protection.”

Sometimes what feels like loss becomes the very thing God uses to open our lives toward people, opportunities, and purposes we never would have discovered otherwise.

And often our “41” is not God restoring the exact story we originally planned, but revealing that His story was greater all along.

Scripture Encouragement

• Proverbs 3:5–6

• Isaiah 55:8–9

• Romans 8:28

Reflect & Respond

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

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Have you experienced seasons where God’s answer felt like “no” or “not yet”?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

How have unexpected changes or closed doors shaped your faith or perspective over time?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

What areas of your life is God asking you to trust Him with right now?__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Prayer

Father, thank You for remaining faithful even when I cannot fully understand what You are doing. Help me trust You in seasons of waiting, disappointment, or uncertainty.

When doors close or plans change, remind me that Your ways are higher than mine and that You are still leading me with wisdom and love. Teach me to follow You with faith even when I cannot yet see the full picture.

Thank You for writing a greater story than the one I could have written for myself.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Share Hope

Many people quietly wrestle with disappointment, waiting, or unexpected changes in life. As you reflect on Christine’s story, consider sharing it with someone who may need the reminder that God is still working even when the path looks different than expected.