How to Trust God’s Plan: From Tangled Threads to God’s Tapestry
“Who knew a textiles and apparel major would one day be weaving a story for God?” If you had told me years ago—sitting in class, learning about fabrics, patterns, and garment construction—that my life would one day look like this, I probably would have smiled politely… and then gone right back to my sewing machine. Because at the time, the path seemed clear. I loved creating. I loved sewing. I loved the beauty of taking something simple—threads, fabric, design—and turning it into something meaningful. It made sense. It was tangible. It was what I had trained for along with a degree in marketing. But what I didn’t realize then is that God was already weaving something far bigger than I could see—showing me how to trust God’s plan even when I couldn’t understand it.
When the Story Doesn’t Make Sense (How to Trust God’s Plan in Uncertainty)
If you’ve ever looked at the back side of a tapestry, you know what it looks like—
threads crossing over each other, knots, colors going in every direction. It can feel
messy, even confusing. That’s what my story felt like for a long time. And not just mine—the story of Coffee and Bible Time too. It all started in a way I never could have planned. My two daughters, Ashley and Taylor, had a vision to create an app. I was all in. We packed up and headed to San Francisco to work with a developer, excited about what could come of it. And then… things shifted. During that process, we were encouraged to start building a social media presence to support the app launch. So we did. We created a YouTube channel. The girls started posting content. But the app? It never materialized. If we had stopped there, it might have felt like a failure. A dead end. Another loose thread in the design. But God was doing something we couldn’t yet see—teaching us how to trust God’s plan even when nothing made sense.
When God Redirects the Thread (Learning How to Trust God’s Plan)
While the app quietly faded into the background, something unexpected began to
grow. The Coffee and Bible Time YouTube channel. What started as a simple step to support an app turned into something entirely different—a space where girls and women were drawn in, hungry to understand how to study the Bible and grow in their relationship with God. We hadn’t planned that. We hadn’t mapped it out. But God had. Before long, we began to notice another need—women longing for a simple, meaningful way to connect with God through prayer. That’s when the idea of a prayer journal came to life. Again, not something we set out to create from the beginning. But God used what was in our hands—a reminder of how to trust God’s plan and His perfect timing.
From Threads to Tapestry (What It Looks Like to Trust God’s Plan)
As we continued to say “yes” to where God was leading, Coffee and Bible Time grew in ways we never could have imagined. A YouTube channel turned into a podcast. A single product turned into an online shop. A desire to help others study Scripture grew into a full Bible Study Academy. A small audience became a global community. And along the way, we built a library of free resources to help people delight in God’s Word. And somehow, in the middle of all of it… I became “Mentor Mama Ellen.” Serving thousands of women around the world. Encouraging. Teaching. Walking alongside others in their faith.
Not exactly what I pictured when I chose my major. But exactly what God was weaving all along—a living example of how to trust God’s plan.
Holding Your Story with Open Hands (Daily Steps on How to Trust God’s Plan)
Here’s what I’ve come to realize: God often uses our gifts and passions in ways that don’t make sense at the time. The skills you have. The experiences you’ve walked through.
The doors that opened—and the ones that closed. None of it is wasted. Even when it feels like a detour… Even when it looks like a tangled mess… Even when you can’t see the pattern forming… God is still weaving. Our role isn’t to control every thread. It’s to hold our story with open hands. To trust where He’s leading—even when the next step feels unclear. To say yes when opportunities don’t fit our original plan. To believe that He sees the finished tapestry, even when we only see the backside.
One Day, You’ll See It (Why You Can Trust God’s Plan)
There will come a day when you step back and see what God has been creating all
along. The unexpected turns. The “failed” plans. The moments of confusion. The gifts you didn’t think had a place. All woven together. Beautiful. Purposeful. Meaningful.
For His glory. And you might just find yourself saying… “Who knew?” So wherever you are right now—whether your story feels clear or completely tangled—keep going. Keep trusting. Keep your hands open. Because the Master Weaver is at work…
and what He is creating in your life is far more beautiful than you can imagine—showing you how to trust God’s plan step by step.
One of Ellen's sewing/art/quilt projects. It measures 21 in x 59 in, and she calls it “Grandma's Favorites”. There are 63 of my favorite items hidden within this dress form quilt (animals, objects, people & angels, specific plants, and names of God & phrases). Although I only have one 22-month grandchild at the moment, I figure one day they will all have fun trying to find “Grandma’s favorites”!
