I recently read A Jesus-Shaped Life by Lisa Harper, a prominent Christian author, Bible teacher and public speaker. The book is a deeply moving account of Harper’s journey of faith, her experience of personal brokenness, and the remarkable story of adopting her daughter, Missy (Sedinyana), from Haiti.
At the heart of Harper’s story is a powerful lesson about trusting God even when life seems to contradict His promises.
After doctors told Harper that she could not biologically have children, she faced the painful reality of singlehood and the disappointment of a future that did not look the way she had imagined. There were moments when the grief became overwhelming. Harper has described sitting in her car and grieving, yet choosing not to allow disappointment to harden her heart.
Instead, she continued to leave room for God.
That decision became significant when she encountered Missy, an orphaned Haitian toddler who was suffering from serious medical conditions. Missy was desperately ill, but Harper chose to respond with compassion, love and determination.
As she cared for the little girl and helped nurse her back to health, something unexpected happened. Harper discovered that while she was helping Missy heal physically, God was also using the experience to bring healing to places in her own heart.
Her past trauma and painful experiences had left wounds that she had carried for years. Yet through caring for Missy, Harper began to understand that sometimes God brings healing to us through the very circumstances we never expected to experience.
When God Changes the Story
There are moments when we pray for one thing, but God answers in a way we never anticipated.
Harper had wanted to become a biological mother. Instead, God brought Missy into her life through adoption.
What initially appeared to be a painful detour became part of a much greater story.
This reminds us that a closed door does not necessarily mean the end of our story. Sometimes, it is the beginning of a chapter we could never have written for ourselves.
When Harper later felt prompted to return to Haiti with a healthy Missy, she had to confront her fears. Haiti was connected to memories of hardship, suffering and a frightening period in Missy’s life.
Yet she went.
When they arrived in Missy’s rural village, the reaction of the people was astonishing. Those who had previously seen the sick little girl were amazed to see her alive and healthy. Some had believed she had died.
Harper’s return with a vibrant and healthy Missy became an opportunity to point beyond herself.
Rather than taking the attention for herself, she directed the people’s amazement toward Jesus. What looked like an ordinary return became an opportunity to share her faith and eventually connect with local women.
Trusting God With the Next Step
There is something profoundly encouraging about Harper’s story.
She did not know how everything would work out when doctors told her she could not have children. She did not know that the little girl she would meet in Haiti would become her daughter. And she could not have known that caring for Missy would also become part of her own journey of healing.
But God knew. That is often how faith works. We may only see the next step, while God sees the entire journey.
There may be seasons when we feel disappointed, forgotten or uncertain about the future. We may wonder why God has allowed certain doors to close or why our prayers have not been answered in the way we expected.
But Harper’s story reminds us that God can write a beautiful story with circumstances we would never have chosen for ourselves.
Our responsibility is not always to understand the entire journey. Sometimes, it is simply to trust God enough to take the next step.
A Prayer for the Journey
Like Lisa Harper, we can ask God to order our steps.
We can ask Him to keep our hearts open when disappointment tempts us to close them. We can ask Him for courage when He leads us into unfamiliar places and for faith when we cannot see what lies ahead.
Most importantly, we can trust that our broken places do not disqualify us from being used by God.
Sometimes, the places where we have experienced the deepest pain can become the places through which God brings the greatest purpose.
May we never allow disappointment to make us stop believing. May we continue to trust God, even when His plan looks different from ours. And may we remain faithful enough to follow Him wherever He leads, because when we surrender our steps to God, even an unexpected journey can become a Jesus-shaped life.
