We Don’t Control the Moments

Last Sunday was one of those mountaintop days.

God was moving in our service—people surrendering, responding, stepping into obedience. You could feel it. After weeks of long hours, everything was lined up for a perfect afternoon. The weather was just right. The ball pit was ready. The side-by-side was fueled up. The plan was simple—let the kids play, rest a little, and just enjoy the blessing of the moment.

And then… everything changed.

My youngest came running in—panic in her voice—telling me the girls had flipped the side-by-side. I took off running. When I got there, her friends were shaken but okay—but my oldest daughter was pinned, the machine turned over onto her foot. We had to lift it off to get her free. Then came the trip to the ER, the swelling, the pain, and the reality of how serious it could have been.

Later that evening, when things slowed down, the weight of it all hit.

The “what ifs” came flooding in.

What if it had been worse?

What if more of them had been hurt?

What if it had been her head… or her chest?

But then the Lord gently reminded me of something deeper…

It wasn’t.

And in that moment, I was reminded of a truth we often know—but don’t always feel until moments like this:

We are always just one moment away from everything changing.

“Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” —

James 4:14

Life is fragile. Moments are fleeting. Plans can shift in an instant.

But here’s the anchor…

God doesn’t change when our moments do.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” — Hebrews 13:8

Even when everything feels like it’s spinning, He is still sovereign. Still present. Still in control.

And somehow, in His providence, what could have been far worse… wasn’t.

“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer… my shield and the horn of my salvation”

Psalm 18:2

In the middle of the fear, there was protection.

In the chaos, there was mercy.

And something else stood out just as clearly…

The friends my daughter had around her.

Those girls didn’t panic—they cared. They stayed. They helped. They hurt with her and for her. They did everything they could until I got there. In a moment that could have gone a lot of different ways, their character showed.

“A friend loves at all times…” — Proverbs 17:17

As a dad, that meant more than I can fully put into words. We would all be blessed to have people like that in our lives—and to be that kind of person for someone else.

Sunday reminded me of this:

We don’t control the moments.

But we trust the One who does.

And when life turns in an instant, our hope is not in what could have been—but in the God who already is.

Praying a little more intentionally this week.

Holding my family a little closer.

And thanking God for His protection… even in the moments that shake us.

Because in every moment—He is still faithful.