An Unwelcome Welcome Surprise
Life has a way of rewriting our stories without asking permission.
For me, that rewrite came in the form of a divorce- something I never planned, never wanted, and never thought I’d experience. At the time, it felt like a breaking. If you’d told me 18 years ago that I’d look back on my divorce with gratitude, I probably would have laughed - or cried. Maybe both. Back then it felt like an ending. A door slamming shut on the life I thought I was supposed to have. But now at 64 years old, I see it differently. My divorce was an unwelcome welcome surprise, something I never wanted, but something that ultimately propelled me forward into a new and fuller version of myself.
The Shock of Change: When life as you know it falls apart , there’s a kind of silence that follows. You wake up and everything feels unfamiliar. The routines, the rhythms, the future you imagined - all of it shifts. At first I grieved. I grieved the dream more than the reality. The idea of what “should have been.” But slowly, God began to show me that even unwanted change can hold hidden blessings.
It wasn’t easy - it was lonely, humbling, and, at times, terrifying. But in that quiet space, I discovered something I’d lost in all the noise: myself. When you walk with God, no chapter is wasted. Every detour can become destiny, and every heartbreak can grow new strength.
The Grace in the Unexpected: When I look back I don’t see failure anymore. I see growth, and a woman who learned that endings can be beginnings in disguise. So if you’re standing in the middle of your own unwelcome surprise, hold on. You may not see it yet, but God can use even this to propel you forward - to peace, purpose, and a life that’s beautifully your own. Through my divorce I learned how to stand on my own two feet - emotionally, spiritually, and even financially. I learned how to trust God, not just in theory, but in the everyday details. And one day, I stopped asking “why” and started saying “thank You.” Not because it all made sense, but because I could finally see that the very thing that was meant to break me also built me.
My divorce was never part of my plan, but it was a part of God’s. And, in His hands, an unwelcome surprise became a divine invitation- to heal, to grow, and to live with purpose and peace. So if you’re standing in the middle of something painful, something you never asked for - take heart. You don’t have to understand it yet. Just trust that one day, you’ll look back and see what I see:
That your unwelcome surprise was actually a welcome turning point- the moment everything started moving forward.
Founder & Voice of Mama Wisdom
