Thank you, Geralt and Pixabay.
“You Are Where God Wants You” by Joan Y. Edwards
I like sharing experiences that l have had that let me know that God is listening to me and he cares for me and my loved ones. In sharing my experiences, perhaps it will give you a little inkling of hope for you to hear that God is also with you and helping you get where he wants you if you look for signs and listen to the voices that come from within.
In 1999, my husband’s daughter, Susan called us and said our granddaughter, Amanda who was 9 years old was going to be baptized the next Sunday.
Oh my. This made Carl and me extremely happy and very sad at the same time. We had airline tickets and motel reservations to fly out west to visit with his sister and her husband for two weeks. We really wanted to be there when Amanda got baptized.
So during the night, I happened to think: if God wanted Carl and me to be at Amanda’s baptism, then we would be there. But since it was scheduled and we weren’t going to be there, that meant that God was happy with us not being there and we would just pray that everything go well for her on her special day.
So we flew out west and had a wonderful visit. When we returned, I called Carl’s daughter and asked “How did Amanda’s baptism go?”
Her answer was, “Amanda didn’t get baptized last week. The minister forgot to put the water in the baptismal pool at the church. She’s going to be baptized this coming Sunday!”
“Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!” I was so-o-o-o excited.
I hung up and told Carl, “That voice was right. God did want us there for Amanda’s baptism.” Then I explained our good fortune.
We went to see Amanda get baptized the next Sunday.
What a gift from God!!!
I share this because it shows how God loves to surprise us with his goodness and mercy! When we are open to listening to him, we will be right where he wants us.
I hope each of you will search your life experiences and find times to rejoice because you were blessed to be where you wanted to be and that’s also where God wanted you to be.
I hope you will leave a comment. Hearing from you gives me one more reason to smile. Please share a story of your faith, hope, and love with me.
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Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards, Author
Copyright © 2026 Joan Y. Edwards
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Joan, it took me a while to figure out, but I would have done the same thing for a different reason—once I make a commitment to a person that I’m going to do something, I’m not going to let a shinier invitation derail me from that commitment. And then of course I’ve had various situations like yours that validated the decision because circumstances unfolded in a way that I could not me up doing both…
Dear Jeff,
It is so good to hear from you. Thank you for writing and sharing your experience with me. It is indeed a great character trait to be dependable. Not to break a commitment to be somewhere for a frivolous shiny new event. Even thinking about switching brings up the fact that we sometimes have mixed emotions and talking to God about it or talking with a wise friend will help us be at peace with our decisions.
If God is happy with us, we don’t have to worry about anyone else. He knows our motives. He knows our hearts. Enjoy being you.
Never Give Up
Joan
I loved your story Joan. I feel exactly the same as Jeff. I keep my word. So imagine my shame when I became chronically ill with migraines and had to cancel plans. For years I stopped making plans. I’m better now, and humbled. I no longer feel shame when I have to cancel plans. God is so good!
Dear Vijaya,
It is good to hear from you. Thank you for writing and sharing that you are like Jeff and don’t like to cancel plans you committed to. I am sorry that migraine headaches caused you to do something that caused you even more pain. I want you too know that God knows your true motivations. And he does not want you to feel shamed if you break a commitment for a get together with family or friends. Others may have been disappointed. I hope they treated you kindly. I am asking God to bless you. Believe in you. Be kind to yourself
Never Give Up
Joan
Realizing we dont know everything is a big theme for me. There was no way to know the baptism would be delayed. Good thing you didnt cancel all your plans.
The BIG theme part, for me, is like if driving and someone cuts in front of you, recklessly, and you catch up to them and make an obscene gesture — drive a ways then realize it was a different driver in a similar car. Ooops, you think.
We dont always have all the facts.
Staying centered, in part, is staying humble.
We can get ahead of ourselves by pre – judging someone, or some circumstance.
Dear Bill,
It is good to hear from you. Thank you for sharing that being humble and not pre-judging someone or certain circumstances can help us make better decisions. I believe you are right. We do need to give ourselves time to think and ponder our choices and the impact they might have. Realizing that we are human and may make a mistake or two helps us be more forgiving when others make mistakes. When we do the best we can and try to learn from our experiences, forgiving ourselves and others, God is happy with us. We can be at peace. Believe in you.
Never Give Up
Joan
10 years ago I was looking for a house. It was my first house and I didn’t know anything about buying a house. I got a realtor to help me out. I looked at several houses, but when I saw the house, I am living in I just fell in love with it. When I looked outside. There was a fish symbol, which is religious. I think God led me here and I have been here for 10 years. I thank God every day that he got me here and I am happy.
Dear Emma,
It is so good to hear from you. Thank you for writing and sharing this wonderful experience you had when you were searching for a new house. How cool that you loved the house and then noticed the fish symbol in the yard. You are right. A fish is a religious symbol of God. That was evidence to you that God had led you to this particular house. Such a powerful story of God’s love for you. Believe in you.
Never Give Up
Joan
You’re where you need to be, whether God or some other deity is the cause.
Love your posts.
Dear Melanie,
It is good to hear from you. Thank you for writing. It is interesting that you believe you are where you need to be whether God or some other deity is the cause. Where we are now is the right place to take the next step to where we want to go. I am glad you like my posts. It is a blessing to see your point of view. It helps to see things from different angles when trying to solve a problem. Believe in you.
Never Give Up
Joan
It is wonderful when we can see GOd’s way of doing things is just right. Sometimes, it doesn’t feel right. But in His sovereign providence, it is.
Dear Carol,
It is good to hear from you. Thank you for writing and sharing your words of wisdom. You are right. It truly is a wonderful feeling when we can see God’s way of doing things is just right. Sometimes the realization doesn’t come right away. When we are thankful for what we have and where we are and ask God for guidance, it helps us see how God worked his wonders for us. It amazes me how God keeps each of us going! Enjoy being you.
Never Give Up
Joan
That was a beautiful faith story, Joan.
Dear Gretchen,
It is good to hear from you. Thank you for saying that this was a good faith story. It certainly touched my heart and Carl’s. You have written so many stories about people and their journeys in life. To me you are a good example of using your God-given talents to help others.
Enjoy being you.
Never Give Up
Joan