When Faith Is All You Got Left

Sometimes the smallest sounds bring the biggest peace.

I wrote this last year back in June, when I first started writing on Substack.
But it’s one of those stories I keep coming back to.
Because some moments don’t lose their weight…they just wait for the right time to be told again.

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READ IT

Ephesians 1:13–14 (CSB)

In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

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OWN IT

When my wife was pregnant with our second child, we received the kind of news that drops your heart straight to the floor.

At a routine appointment, the ultrasound tech couldn’t find a heartbeat.

There’s no preparing for that moment.

We held hands in silence.
We prayed.
We begged.
We tried to keep breathing.

The doctor referred us to a specialist. We didn’t ask many questions. We couldn’t. The fear was too loud.

I remember the drive there, holding Karen’s hand and whatever faith I had left, repeating the same words over and over:

“God’s got this. He’s going to take care of it.”

Karen went into the small building while I waited in the car because there was not enough room in the office.

Those were the longest minutes of my life.

I sat there staring at the windshield like it had answers, praying so hard I didn’t even know what words I was saying anymore.

I’m a planner by nature. I think in checklists and contingencies. So while I waited, my mind ran through every possible outcome.

What if they don’t find the heartbeat?
What if we leave this parking lot with a hole in our hearts?
What do I say to Karen?
What should I do?

Then the door opened.

I watched her walk toward me, searching her face for any clue. She opened the car door, sat down, let out a long breath, and through tears said words I’ll never forget:

“She’s okay. They found the heartbeat. Everything’s good.”

I don’t remember what I said next.

I just remember the tears.

Tears of relief.
Tears of joy.
Tears of overwhelming gratitude.

At that moment, we knew her middle name would be Faith.

Because that’s what carried us through.
That’s what we held onto when everything felt like it was slipping away.
And that’s what we prayed she would carry with her — faith in something bigger, steadier, and stronger than anything this world can throw at her.

That day reminded me of two things I never want to forget.

Faith doesn’t always mean you’re not scared.
Sometimes it just means you trust anyway.

And the quietest sound in the world, a tiny heartbeat, can be the loudest reminder that God is good.

That’s what faith sounded like to us.

And I want to say this gently, because I know not every story turns out the same way.

What if God hadn’t answered our prayer the way we hoped?

I don’t believe that would’ve meant He wasn’t good.
I don’t believe it would’ve meant He wasn’t present.
And I don’t believe it would’ve meant we weren’t sealed.

Being sealed with the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean God promises us the outcome we want.
It means He promises us His presence no matter the outcome.

God didn’t prove His faithfulness that day by fixing everything.
He proved it by being with us in the waiting.

And that same presence holds us. Whether the answer is yes, no, or not yet.

Ephesians tells us that when we believe, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. We are marked, protected, and claimed by God Himself. That seal doesn’t mean we won’t face fear. It means we never face it alone.

God was with us in that parking lot.
He didn’t leave us in our waiting.
He sealed us with His presence.

And He does the same for you.

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LIVE IT

Today, when fear or uncertainty creeps in, pause and remind yourself:
I am not alone. God is with me.

Invite the Holy Spirit into that moment, not to erase the fear, but to steady your heart through it.

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GO DEEPER

1. When have you experienced fear and faith at the same time?

2. How does knowing you are sealed with the Holy Spirit change the way you face uncertainty?

3. What situation in your life right now needs the reminder that God is present and faithful?

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DINNER TABLE DEVOTIONAL

1. Have you ever been scared but trusted someone anyway? What helped you trust?

2. What do you think it means that God is always with us?

3. How can we remind each other of God’s presence when things feel overwhelming?

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PRAY IT

Father, thank You for sealing me with Your Holy Spirit. When fear rises, remind me that You are near. Give me faith to trust You even when I’m scared, and peace that comes from knowing I am never alone.
Amen.

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It’s not lost on me that I’m sharing this again almost a year into writing here. When I first hit publish, I didn’t know who would read it or if anyone would. A year later, I still don’t have all the answers, but I’ve seen enough to know this: God shows up in the waiting. In the quiet moments. In the prayers that don’t have polished words.

Thank you for reading, for sticking around, and for letting me share these stories with you. If you’re in a season of waiting right now, you’re not alone. He’s there too.