Uncertainty and the Presence of God

One of my Christian friends, Alice, last year set off on a solo working holiday around Australia. For anyone who has travelled far away from what you call home, you may have experienced the same worries, doubts or hardships. However, as you read this testimony from Alice who has gone through these same uncertainties, you will be encouraged that there is one who never changes and is constantly by your side, and that is our Lord God.

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"In August 2023, I resigned from my full-time teaching position, packed up all my belongings, and set off on a road trip around Australia with my two guinea pigs. The idea was to spend a month or two in each location and divide that time between exploring landmarks and teaching in local primary schools on a day-to-day casual relief basis. As a usually highly-organised and structured person, many people were shocked by my lack of concrete planning and my newfound  ‘just go with the flow’ attitude.

A lot of the time, the plans that I did have ended up having to change anyway. One week into my trip, I had to suddenly leave the accommodation that I was meant to be staying in for the next month. Some of the people that I lived with, who initially appeared to be incredibly kind, turned out to be rather toxic and hurtful. Some Education Departments didn’t tell me about the extra administration work I was required to complete in order to receive full approval to teach in their state or territory until after I had arrived in their state or territory and was not able to wait weeks for it to be processed before I started working. Although the initial plan was to work my way around Australia going north-west-south-east-north, I ended up turning around and starting to travel in the opposite direction. As Proverbs 27:1 (NIV) says, Do not boast about tomorrow, / for you do not know what a day may bring. Similarly, Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) says, In their hearts humans plan their course, / but the LORD establishes their steps.

Despite the uncertainty, I am in a much better headspace than I was a year ago. Having to rely on a God who is unchanging, all-powerful and perfectly loving fills me with much more peace than trying to rely on a system and institution that is constantly changing and only looking to cater to their own best interests. The sort of peace that I am referring to is unexplainable, as found in Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV): Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus [emphasis mine]. Will this person also kick me out of my accommodation? Will I be able to get enough work here? Will my guinea pig survive her operation? Will I be able to keep travelling after paying the vet bills? If you go where God is calling you to go, He will take care of everything for you. When He closes a door in one place, He opens a much better door in another place.

Another lesson that I have been learning during my travels so far is the importance of still meeting regularly with other Christians. At some of the churches that I visited, I wasn’t able to properly connect with people as they seemed to be intimidated by visitors. At one particularly rural place where I stayed for four weeks, there was no decent church within about two hours, so I went four weeks without physically attending a church. I still watched some services online, but it wasn’t the same as meeting with other Christians and being an encouragement to each other. My faith started to wane. I never actually gave up my faith, but it was struggling. I was no longer spending time alone with God each day. When I did read my Bible and pray, it felt more like a chore than a joy.

However, within days of arriving in Canberra, I had already found a healthy and welcoming church to attend. I started out attending just the Sunday afternoon service, but I ended up also joining the Sunday morning service and the young adults Tuesday night Bible study group. God even orchestrated events so beautifully that my time in Canberra coincided with this particular church’s young adults retreat and their church family camp. I joined both of these events and had a great time, connecting with new Christian brothers and sisters on a deeper level than I had for a while. Since then, my relationship with God has been the strongest that it has been for a long time.

Now, when I go to bed each night, I actually look forward to waking up the next morning to spend time alone with God. Doing this first thing in the morning on a daily basis helps me to start my day with a healthy mindset. It helps me to be filled with God’s strength and peace as I face the uncertainty of the coming days, weeks, months and years. During my travels, I have definitely experienced God’s presence whilst being out and about in creation, especially when I’m exploring mountains and beaches. However, I have also felt God’s presence whilst spending quality time with Him, both alone and in the company of other Christian community members, who are doing life alongside me."

       Looking out over Canberra atop Mount Taylor, ACT

-Alice