Faith Found in Unexpected Places

As a little girl, I used to say the rhyme

Star light, star bright

First star I see tonight;

I wish I may,I wish I might

Have this wish I wish tonight

One particular evening, I crawled up in the bed of Daddy's pickup truck and sat on the toolbox, and we headed to the dumpster with the trash. Back in those days, even now, people's trash is another man's treasure. Dumpster diving has always been around. My daddy loved to see what he could find. He won brownie points with Momma when he brought home nice Home Interior Pictures or glass.

So that evening, I remember looking up to the sky while riding down the road and seeing that first bright star and saying the rhyme. That evening, my wish was simple: I wanted roller skates. In my little mind, I didn't wonder if I was going to find a pair of roller skates. I just wished, trusted, and hoped the only way a child can.

When Daddy pulled up to the dumpster, I jumped out, surrounded by things people had thrown away. I found roller skates.

Even now, years later, that moment stays with me.

As an adult, I understand that faith isn't about getting everything we ask for. Life has taught me that prayers aren't always answered the way we expect- or in the timing we hope for. But that childhood moment reminds me of something important: faith begins with trust, not understanding.

Somewhere along the way, adult faith becomes complicated. We want proof before we believe. We want clarity before obedience. We want certainty before trust. Yet God often asks us to walk forward without all the answers, just as I did that day, believing before seeing.

Looking back, I see that God didn't just give me roller skates; He gave me a memory to return to when faith feels hard. A reminder that He listens. That he provides. And that His answers sometimes come from unexpected places.

Adult faith isn't as simple as childhood faith-but it can be just as real. It's choosing to trust God when prayers feel unanswered. It's believing He is working even when He feels messy or unclear. It's recognizing His presence, not only in blessings, but in the journey itself.

Faith didn't change as I grew older- I did. And now, faith looks like a choice I make every day: to trust God with the same openness I had as a child, even when the road ahead isn't clear.

Faith is not a feeling.

It's a decision to trust-again and again.

And sometimes, it's remembering how God has met me.