When we think of faith, we often think of unwavering belief. We tell ourselves that God will look after us and provide for us. For many people, they are shown enough grace that they never experience a situation that truly tests the limits of their faith.

I’d like to share how I came to faith.

For many years, I had dear friends trying to get me to follow Christ. I was often torn between believing and not believing. My life has not been an easy one. Over the years, I have faced severe medical issues, now numbering in the double digits. Each episode left me in greater turmoil than the one before, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially.

My friends would tell me that turning to God would improve my life. But in my mind, if God wanted to improve my life, He had plenty of opportunities to show me He was there and that He cared.

As it turns out, I had it all wrong.

Most recently, I suffered my sixth heart attack. Unlike the others, I did not recover well from this one. Physical labor is no longer a realistic option for me. My tolerance for stress has been greatly reduced, often causing physical symptoms that are cause for concern.

Within the span of a year, I was financially ruined. Bankrupt. I lost my house and found myself living in a minivan with my dog, trying to survive by DoorDashing because it was one of the few jobs I could still do. At the same time, fuel prices were consuming 30 to 35 percent of my earnings every shift.

I was angry.

I was confused.

And if I’m being honest, I was lower than I had ever been in my life.

I applied for a remote technical position that I was horribly overqualified for. Twelve hours after applying, I was offered the job. Then came the catch.

“Give us a call when your situation improves.”

That was exactly what I was trying to do in the first place.

Then one day, for reasons I still cannot fully explain, I surrendered myself completely to God.

Not halfway.

Not “just in case.”

Not because I thought it would fix my problems.

I mean true surrender of both my heart and my mind.

I finally started reading my Bible. I began consuming Christian content and teachings instead of filling my time with horror movies, action films, and whatever entertainment happened to distract me from reality.

And something interesting happened.

My situation didn’t suddenly improve.

My reality did.

I was no longer angry that I was living in a minivan. Instead, I became grateful that I had a minivan to live in.

I became grateful that I still had some means of earning income.

I started noticing the small graces that had always been there. A warm meal. A clean public restroom. A safe place to park for the night. Places where my dog could stretch his legs and enjoy himself.

Things I had taken for granted suddenly had meaning. They felt like genuine gifts.

I continued applying for jobs online, hoping to improve my circumstances, and I learned a hard lesson.

When you’re homeless, traditional employment becomes incredibly difficult to obtain.

The very first box on most applications asks for your home address.

Not long afterward, my small savings started growing. Then a dear friend of more than fifteen years saw my efforts, saw my struggles, and told me he felt moved by God to help me get back on my feet.

He essentially matched what I had managed to save.

For the first time in a long time, I was able to seriously begin looking for a rental property and a path back toward stability.

Faith during hard times does not guarantee that God will magically fix your life like a genie granting three wishes.

What faith does is change how you see your circumstances.

It allows you to recognize that you are more blessed than you realize.

It frees you from being consumed by worry and anxiety because you trust there is a greater plan at work, even when you cannot see it.

And often, you begin noticing opportunities that were there all along, opportunities God may have been placing in front of you the entire time.

Having faith is easy when life is perfect.

Faith is difficult when life is a struggle.

But that is also when faith matters most.

Because beyond any blessing God may provide, faith gives something that no amount of money, success, or comfort can buy.

It gives peace.

It gives purpose.

And it gives hope for the future.