I came home from church feeling blessed, covered, and cute…only to walk straight into what felt like a heat advisory.
I’m talking instant sweat. Edges threatened. Salvation still intact, but under pressure.
Naturally, I said: “Why is it HOT like this?!”
That’s when we realized, the AC wasn’t struggling… it had retired without notice.
The technician came and gave us the update: “Eight days.”
Now… here’s the thing.
A few years ago, we had a similar issue. And God? He moved. That part came in faster than expected, like expedited shipping straight from heaven. No delays. No stress. Just done.
So this time, I quietly thought… Okay, Lord, I’ve seen this before. I know how You do.
Except… this time? Different story. We’re four days out from vacation, thinking everything will line up.
Then the call comes: “Part delayed.” And that’s when it hit me. Oh… we’re not doing it like that this time.
FROM HOT TO COLD IN A NEW YORK MINUTE
So I prayed, “Lord… I don’t know how You’re going to handle this one… but please let it be cool when I get back.”
Not my most polished prayer, but it was real. Fast forward. I come back home. Step outside my car…and pause.
Because why is it cold? Not a breeze. Not luck.
A full cold front, like it got divine instructions ahead of me.
And I just stood there thinking…Okay God…so this is what we’re doing. Because last time, He fixed it fast. But this time? He didn’t rush the repair.
He shifted the atmosphere.
Apparently…there’s a Climate Commandment.
One of the hardest parts of faith is accepting that God doesn’t repeat Himself; He reveals Himself.
We want patterns. God chooses purpose. We want to predict Him. God invites us to trust Him. The same God who fixed it quickly before…can choose to do it completely differently this time. Not because He’s inconsistent, but because He’s intentional.
According to Isaiah 65:24, “He answers before we even call”, but the how of His answer is always His choice. And the truth is, we will never fully know how God will move. We won’t always understand the method. We won’t always recognize the setup. We won’t always see it coming, but we can trust this:
If God chooses to fix it, He’s faithful.
If He chooses to sustain you through it, He’s still faithful.
If He chooses to shift everything around you instead, He’s still God.
So, when God opts to do it differently…don’t let unfamiliarity shake your faith. Let it deepen it. Because even when you don’t understand His ways, you can be confident in His heart.
PRAYER
Father,
Thank You for being faithful, even when Your ways are beyond my understanding. Forgive me for trying to put You in patterns and predict how You will move.
Teach me to trust You, not just when I recognize Your hand, but even when I don’t understand Your method. Whether You fix it, shift it, or sustain me through it, I choose to believe that You are working for my good.
Strengthen my faith in the unknown and give me peace in Your process.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
REFLECTION
Where are you expecting God to repeat what He did before?
Can you trust Him even when His method feels unfamiliar?
What would it look like to surrender the “how” and rest in His faithfulness?
Shyann Anderson has been saved for some 10 years. A Jamaican, she is a medical device sales executive overseas; and between family, church, and work, she has also found time to author the devotional, “Light for the Journey.”