God Is Not Finished With You Yet
Adapted from the July 26, 2026 Firebird Gathering Video
A reflection on trusting the Sacred during seasons of waiting and remembering that your story is still being written.
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Waiting can be one of the most difficult parts of the spiritual journey.
We pray. We hope. We make plans. We do the work we know how to do.
Then we wait.
Sometimes the answer arrives differently than we expected. Sometimes it takes much longer than we wanted. Sometimes the path before us changes completely.
In this week’s Firebird Gathering, messenger Sonya Kennedy offers a deeply personal reminder for anyone carrying a burden, waiting for an answer, or wondering what the Sacred may be doing behind the scenes:
Your story is not over.
God is not finished with you yet.
The Spirit Meets Us in Our Weakness
In Romans 8, Paul writes that the Spirit comes alongside us in our weakness.
When we do not know what to say, how to pray, or what our next step should be, the Spirit remains present.
There are moments when words fail us.
We may be too exhausted to form a prayer. Our grief may be too deep. Our uncertainty may be too great.
Yet prayer does not always require polished language.
Sometimes a sigh is a prayer.
Sometimes tears are a prayer.
Sometimes simply saying, “I don’t know what to do,” is enough.
The Sacred already knows the truth held within our hearts.
Not Everything That Happens Is Good
Romans 8:28 is sometimes interpreted to mean that everything happens for a good reason.
But not everything that happens is good.
People experience loss, injustice, illness, violence, disappointment, and circumstances they did not choose or deserve.
Faith does not require us to pretend those experiences are good.
Instead, this passage offers the hope that the Sacred can continue working through every part of our lives—even the painful, confusing, and unfinished parts.
Pain does not have to have the final word.
Disappointment does not have to become the ending of our story.
Even the places that feel broken can become part of something meaningful, compassionate, and life-giving.
When Waiting Becomes Preparation
Sonya shares how a move to a new neighborhood left her feeling disconnected from the spiritual community she had known.
She sensed that something was needed in the place where she now lived, but she did not immediately know what to do.
She prayed. She waited. She tried different possibilities.
Eventually, a Bible study began. From that gathering, a worshiping community developed in her apartment building.
Looking back, Sonya could recognize a Sacred presence at work throughout the process.
The waiting had not been empty.
It had been a season of preparation.
That can be difficult to see while we are living through it.
Waiting often feels like nothing is happening. Yet beneath the surface, our understanding may be deepening, our courage may be growing, and possibilities may be forming that we cannot yet recognize.
God’s Timing and Our Timing
Trusting Sacred timing is not easy.
We want answers now.
We want clarity now.
We want the door to open, the healing to arrive, the conflict to end, or the path to become obvious.
When none of that happens quickly, we may begin to wonder whether our prayers have been heard.
But a delay is not always a denial.
Sometimes we are still becoming ready for what comes next.
Sometimes circumstances beyond our awareness are still changing.
Sometimes the answer we want is not the answer that will ultimately lead us toward wholeness.
Many of us can look back and feel grateful that certain prayers were not answered in the way we originally expected.
That does not make the waiting painless. It reminds us that our view of the journey is always incomplete.
The Work We Do While We Wait
Trust does not mean doing nothing.
Faith is not passive resignation.
Sonya describes the spiritual journey as a reciprocal relationship. We pray, listen, and trust—but we also take the steps available to us.
We make the phone call.
We complete the application.
We ask for help.
We begin the conversation.
We learn, prepare, organize, and keep moving as faithfully as we can.
We cannot control every outcome, but we can participate in what is becoming possible.
Nothing Can Separate Us from Love
Paul asks what could separate us from the love of Christ.
Trouble?
Uncertainty?
Fear?
Disappointment?
Delay?
His answer is clear.
Nothing in all creation can separate us from the Love that holds us.
This does not mean our lives will always be easy or that we will never feel afraid.
It means that fear is not stronger than Love.
Uncertainty is not stronger than Love.
Even when we cannot see the next chapter, Love remains present within the story.
The Sacred Often Begins Small
Jesus describes the kin-dom of heaven through ordinary images: a mustard seed, yeast mixed into flour, and a pearl discovered by someone who understands its value.
None of these images begins with something loud or impressive.
A tiny seed grows into shelter.
A small amount of yeast transforms an entire bowl of dough.
A single pearl becomes worth reorganizing one’s life around.
Sacred transformation often begins in the same way.
A quiet idea.
A new relationship.
A moment of courage.
A small decision to remain hopeful.
What appears insignificant today may eventually change everything.
Your Story Is Not Over
Sonya shares that she and her family are moving closer to purchasing their first home.
The process has included waiting, uncertainty, frustration, prayer, and practical work.
There have been moments when she has wondered whether the Sacred was listening.
Yet when she looks back, she can recognize signs of grace throughout the journey.
That perspective leads to the heart of her message:
Be encouraged.
Your story is not over.
God is still writing it.
A difficult chapter is not the whole book.
A season of waiting is not proof that nothing is happening.
A closed door does not mean there will never be another path.
What feels unfinished may simply be unfinished.
Keep Walking with Curious Hearts
Life rarely follows the maps we create for it.
We encounter unexpected turns, delays, losses, discoveries, and opportunities we never could have planned.
The invitation is not to predict every step.
It is to keep traveling with curious hearts, open hands, and trust in the Love that accompanies us.
Continue paying attention to the quiet stirrings that are easy to miss.
Continue trusting that small seeds of compassion can become something beautiful.
Continue making room for new understanding, unexpected joy, and the gentle ways the Spirit is still growing within you.
Whatever you are waiting for today, remember:
You are not alone.
You are still becoming.
Your story is still unfolding.
God is not finished with you yet.