Issue #22 - God in the Eternal Now: Healing the Past, Anchoring the Future

God in the Eternal Now: Healing the Past, Anchoring the Future

Messy Story of the Week

She was stuck in the middle of the night again.

Her body was exhausted, but her mind was busy replaying scenes she wished she could edit. Things she said. Things she didn’t say. Moments where she should have known better. Moments where she didn’t.

Sometimes the thoughts rushed backward. Why didn’t anyone protect me? Where was God then?
Other times they raced forward. What if this never really heals? What if I pass this on anyway?

She knew all the right answers. She knew God was good. She knew He was faithful.
But knowing didn’t quiet the noise.

Lying there in the dark, what she wanted most wasn’t a solution.
She wanted reassurance that God wasn’t limited to the moment she was stuck in.

Faithful God Then and Now

Scripture gives us a God who is not trapped in time the way we are.

Again and again, God speaks from a place of wholeness that His people have not yet experienced. He calls Gideon a “mighty warrior” before Gideon feels brave. He promises restoration before Israel sees repair. He names Peter a leader before Peter’s failure is fully exposed.

God exists in what we might call an eternal now. He is present in our past, our present, and our future all at once.

That means the woman lying awake at night is not reaching for a God who arrives late. The same God who sees the future with clarity was present in the moments that now feel confusing, painful, or unfinished.

God is not rewriting history by pretending it didn’t hurt. He is redeeming it by bringing His presence into it.

What We Can Learn

• God’s presence is not limited by our timeline

• Healing often comes from realizing God was there all along

• Anxiety grows when we believe the future is uncertain to God

• Restoration is grounded in who God is, not how fast we heal

• Wholeness is something God forms, not something we force

Behind the Curtain

In coaching, I often see people trying to make big decisions while parts of them are still frozen in old moments. They’re not irresponsible or faithless. They’re unhealed.

When someone is living from a place of fragmentation, everything feels urgent. The past feels dangerous. The future feels fragile. Decisions feel heavy and confusing.

Clarity usually doesn’t come from trying harder. It comes when God’s presence is allowed to meet the places that stopped growing, the places that learned to brace instead of trust.

Wholeness brings perspective. And perspective brings peace.

Faithful Family Tools

If this conversation is stirring something in you, you don’t have to sit with it alone.

• Faithful Families Free Community
  A supportive space to process faith, family patterns, and healing alongside others who are learning to slow down and grow with God.

• Marriage, Mayhem, and Mercy Podcast
  Ongoing conversations connecting Scripture to real family life, emotional healing, and faithful restoration.

These resources are designed to walk with you, not rush you.

Faith Step for the Week

This week, when your mind moves backward or forward, pause and say:

“God, show me where You were… and where You are now.”

Let Him answer in His time.

Bible Verse

“The Lord is there.”
Ezekiel 48:35

2-Minute Practice

Set a timer for two minutes.
Place one hand on your chest.
Take slow, steady breaths.

Say quietly:
“God is with me now.”

Notice what settles. Don’t force anything.

Next Week

Next week on the podcast, I’ll be joined by Tiffany Colvin as we look at two powerful restoration stories: the Prodigal Son and Peter’s restoration. We’ll talk about shame, repentance, and what Jesus actually does with failure that feels final.

God doesn’t just welcome us home. He restores us to purpose.