When my mom got sick, I prayed harder than I ever had.
I asked God to heal her. I believed He could. I believed He would. I quoted Scripture, sang worship songs, and begged Him for a miracle. It wasn’t a casual hope, it was the kind of desperate, on-my-knees belief that shakes your soul. The kind that makes you look up at heaven and whisper, “God, please… do it again.”
But somewhere in the middle of all the unknowns, my prayers started to shift.
I still believed God could heal her, but I began praying for something deeper:
“God, align my heart with Yours.”
“No matter what happens… help me trust You.”
“Even if You don’t heal her the way I hope… draw me closer.”
That’s when the words of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found me and changed everything.
“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it… But even if He does not, we want you to know… we will not serve your gods.”
Daniel 3:17-18
That line: “But even if He does not…”
It became the anthem of my heart.
Unexpected Answers
God was able to heal my mom. Just not here in the physical sense but in the eternal sense.
But I still chose to trust Him.
That was the kind of faith I wanted. Not just a “when things go my way” kind of faith. But a “when everything falls apart, I still know who He is” kind of faith. A faith that trusts in the character of God, not just the outcomes I hope for.
When my mom passed away, the ache was deep. The grief was real. But I wasn’t left without hope, because by then, my heart had already begun turning toward something greater than healing: toward God Himself.
I believe this with everything in me:
God did heal her.
Just not in the way I imagined.
I asked for healing on earth. He gave her perfect healing in heaven. No more pain. No more sickness. No more death. Just Jesus. Just joy. Just peace.
Steadfast God
That doesn’t erase the ache I feel or the days I still cry. But it reframes the story. It reminds me that God was never absent in the fire. He stood with me, just like He stood in the furnace with those three faithful men. And even though the flames rose high, they weren’t consumed—and neither was I.
Sometimes the miracle isn’t that God stops the fire.
Sometimes the miracle is that He steps into it with you.
I think we all face moments when we have to decide:
Will I trust God even if He doesn’t do what I asked?
Even if the healing doesn’t come.
Even if the job falls through.
Even if the relationship ends.
Even if the door never opens.
Will I still believe He’s good?
For me, the answer is yes. Not because it’s easy. Not because it doesn’t hurt. But because I’ve seen who He is. He’s kind. He’s close. He’s wise. He’s eternal. He sees the full picture. And I’d rather walk with Him through the fire than live a life free from pain without Him.
So whatever furnace you’re standing in today,
I hope you know: He is able to save you.
But even if He doesn’t, He is still good.
He is still God.
And He is still worth trusting with your whole heart.
You’re not alone in the fire. He’s there too.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Isaiah 43:2
Overwhelmed 