Introduction: Unexpected Assignments

I retired a little less than a month ago.

Like many people approaching retirement, I had dreams and plans for this new season of life. More time with my wife. Travel. New adventures. Writing. Serving. Learning. Exploring what God might have next.

And thankfully, many of those things are happening or are on their way.

But retirement has also brought something I didn’t fully anticipate.

House projects.

Lots of house projects.

Last spring, my wife and I purchased a home in Wyoming. We love it—or are ready to. It is beautiful, sits in a wonderful neighborhood, and has already become a place filled with memories.

But as anyone who has ever purchased an existing home knows, houses have a way of revealing surprises.

Some of those surprises are delightful.

Others… not so much.

Since moving in, we have encountered one unexpected project after another. Drainage problems. Water issues. Repairs. Improvements. Things that seemed simple but somehow turned into much larger undertakings.

If I’m honest, there have been moments when I’ve found myself asking:

“Lord, why this?”

“Why now?”

“Why another project?”

Perhaps you’ve asked similar questions. I’m pretty sure my wife has.

But maybe your questions weren’t about a house.

Maybe about your health.

Your family.

Your work.

A difficult relationship.

A season of caregiving.

An unexpected loss.

A responsibility you never asked for.

We all encounter assignments in life that we would not have chosen for ourselves.

And often, we don’t understand why God has allowed them.

God’s Workmanship

One of my favorite passages in Scripture says this:

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

—Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Think about that for a moment.

God prepared good works for us to do.

Prepared in advance.

Long before we were born.

Long before we retired.

Long before we purchased that house, accepted that job, faced that challenge, or entered that difficult season.

God already knew.

And somehow, in ways that often remain mysterious to us, He has woven these assignments into our lives.

That doesn’t mean every circumstance is easy.

Or enjoyable.

Or immediately understandable.

But it does mean that none of it is wasted.

It Isn’t Always Ours to Understand

I have come to realize that much of the Christian life involves faithfully doing the next thing God places in front of us, even when we don’t understand why.

Frankly, I would prefer a detailed explanation.

A roadmap.

A spreadsheet.

Maybe even a PowerPoint presentation.

But God rarely works that way.

Instead, He usually gives us enough light for the next step.

Not the next hundred.

Isaiah reminds us:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

—Isaiah 55:8 (NIV)

Sometimes our calling is simply obedience.

To trust.

To serve.

To repair what needs repairing.

To love the people God has placed in our lives.

To keep showing up.

To keep moving forward.

And to do all of it leaning into His strength rather than our own.

Faithfulness Doesn’t Have to Be Visible

Another challenge is that many of the things God calls us to do seem invisible.

Our culture celebrates visible accomplishments.

Promotions.

Awards.

Recognition.

Followers.

Achievements.

But the Kingdom of God often operates differently.

Some of the most important work done for God’s Kingdom happens quietly.

Unseen.

Uncelebrated.

I have a dear friend who prays fiercely for others every day.

Sometimes I think he struggles to feel as though he’s contributing to the lives of those around him in meaningful ways.

Most of the people he prays for daily have no idea that he’s stepping onto the spiritual battlefield on their behalf regularly.

No crowds applaud.

No headlines are written.

No one may ever fully understand the eternal impact of those prayers.

And yet Scripture tells us:

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

—James 5:16 (NIV)

Powerful.

Effective.

Not because others see it.

Because God does.

Jesus Himself said:

“Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

—Matthew 6:4 (NIV)

The audience that matters most has perfect attendance.

Working for an Audience of One

Perhaps this is why Paul wrote:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

—Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

Whatever you do.

Whether you’re leading a company.

Changing diapers.

Caring for an aging parent.

Fixing drainage problems.

Praying quietly for a friend.

Writing encouraging notes.

Serving behind the scenes.

Or simply doing the next thing God has placed before you.

Do it wholeheartedly.

Do it joyfully.

Do it for Him.

Because you were made for this.

Not necessarily this exact task.

But this life of faithful obedience.

This life of partnering with God in the good works He prepared for you long ago.

A Final Encouragement

There are still days when I stand in my yard, looking at yet another unexpected project, and wonder what exactly God is up to.

I still don’t know.

But I’m learning that understanding isn’t always required.
Faithfulness is.
Joy is.
Trust is.

And so, one project at a time, one day at a time, I will continue leaning into God’s wisdom, strength, and the joy of the Lord.

Because if He has placed this assignment in front of me, then by His grace, I was made for it.

And so were you.

A Question to Sit With

What assignment has God placed in front of you right now…

and how might your perspective change if you saw it not as an interruption, but as part of the good work He prepared in advance for you to do?