Trusting the Lord’s Timing

As a young woman, Lisa eagerly anticipated the day she’d be married and start a family, but that day came years later than she could have imagined. In her single years, she gained faith in God’s careful timing for each of His children.

Lisa considers the choices she made in her 20s part of the reason she didn’t get married at that stage of her life. In retrospect, she realizes that while God had forgiven her for her mistakes, she had yet to forgive herself.

In her early 30s, Lisa became heavily involved in the lives of her family and neighbors. She was especially happy to help them raise their children.

“I love children. So instead of feeling sorry for myself, I embraced that so many wonderful mothers allowed me to be part of their children’s lives,” she says.

Lisa enjoyed many meaningful relationships and learning experiences. Still, at times, she felt alone and perhaps by forgotten by God.

“I hadn’t forgiven myself. So how could God love me? How could He want the best for me?” she wondered.

Lisa put effort into dating, but found it challenging. Just before her 40th birthday, Lisa’s junior high school friend set her up on a blind date with her now-husband, Russ. After two dates, both she and Russ let the connection fizzle. Over two years later, though, Lisa reached out to him again. They were married not long after, and today Lisa has three step children and six grandchildren.

“I think the Lord took my hand and walked me through this experience. So if I try to think back about ‘what if,’ I can’t go there because that would mean I wouldn’t have what I have now, and what I have now is priceless to me,” Lisa explains. “Our life may take a detour. There are times we have to recalculate, and we cannot undo the past, but we can make the future better. God wants the best for us.”

Gospel Solutions for Families is a series focused on offering practical, relevant tips for building families in faith. You can subscribe to the podcast on MormonChannel.org, the Mormon Channel app, or iTunes.

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