Has your life gone precisely as you would have chosen? In one way or another, we all would probably answer that question with a resounding “no.” It’s no secret that life can be unpredictable. The plans we dream about and make don’t always become our realities. When that happens, we can feel let down, disappointed, and lost.

My guest, Kristen Clark, understands this well. She believes joy does not come from getting the life you always dreamed of. Instead, it comes from trusting God with the life He has for you and believing that His plans truly are good.

Kristen and her sister, Bethany Beal, are the founders of Girl Defined Ministries. They are also the authors of several books, including Girl Defined: God’s Radical Design for Beauty, Femininity, and Identity, and their most recent book, Not Part of the Plan: Trusting God with the Twists and Turns of Your Story.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

  • Kristen’s journey walking through several miscarriages, unexplained infertility, and overcoming expectations around adoption
  • Why it is important to have a clear understanding of God’s character
  • The danger and disappointments of expectations
  • How we can trust God with the future
  • And more!

I loved talking with Kristen, and this conversation is such an important one. Listen in!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

My Key Takeaways:

1) Take your emotions to the Lord. We tend to be good about expressing our emotions, grief, and disappointment when we share them with our friends and family, but how often do we express those to God? The Bible shows us an example of expressing our raw emotions to the Lord. King David did this over and over and over! God doesn’t want us to hide or be ashamed of our feelings. He wants us to come to Him for comfort and to be transformed by the Truth.

2) Our expectations drive disappointment. Did you ever dream of what your life would look like down the road? Many of us had dreams of marriage, family, and what our futures would hold. There’s nothing wrong with imagining what life may look like. However, we need to be careful not to make that the source of our happiness. God doesn’t promise us our vision of “the good life.” Here’s a question to ask: If God never gives you ____, will you still be content?

3) Grief and joy often coexist. Blessing and grief frequently overlap as we celebrate the differences in our stories. God doesn’t promise that we all will receive the same blessings or that our life path will follow the same milestones. Some of us will experience sadness as we confront the loss of an unmet expectation. It is when we put our ultimate hope in God that we are able to better express joy when others receive a blessing that is lacking in our own life.

About Kristen:

Kristen Clark is a co-founder of Girl Defined Ministries, co-author of five books, wife, and mom. She married her best friend, Zack, and after a long road through infertility and miscarriages is the newly adoptive mom to two boys. Kristen is passionate about sharing the message of God-defined womanhood through mentoring young women, hosting Bible studies in her living room, and sharing stories and resources online. She’s a fun-lovin’ Texas girl that adores the outdoors and is an unashamed dog-lover who frequently snuggles her Maltipoo.

 

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