In minutes song was over, and life went on. I wiped my face, picked up my courage, and marched forward—sincerely hoping God did indeed have a plan in mind, hoping as well that He would be faithful to His promise that He has not given us “the spirit of fear; but of power and love.”

Over course of next month, slowly but surely my daughter did gain weight. One agonizing gram at a time. At one point we even threatened to stuff her diaper with quarters (each one gram) so that she could get to magic number—1812 grams—4 pounds, so we could take her home. Although at time it seemed like an eternity, in retrospect it doesn’t seem like it took all that long. Two months to be exact. A full month less than doctors had warned it would take. Then one cloudy September day we got to take our perfectly healthy baby home for good.

Less than a year later, I stood with my baby girl in my arms in that same church, and suddenly that familiar music started once again. “Be not afraid… I go before you always…” I looked down at my beautiful girl, and tears started rolling once more. Hugging my baby to me, I could only sing with my heart because tears choked out words.

Even today seven years and a hundred scraped knees later, when those notes play together, I am reminded to depth of my soul that God is indeed here with me. In my most terrifying moments, He is by my side. More than that, He can see other side to what I can’t, and He knows that in that moment things will be all right. And so, as a wise man once said, “All I have seen teaches me to trust Him for all I have not seen.”

Because of one wonderful, talented person whom I’m sure I will never meet, I now understand that we can all “Be not afraid…”

What I’m suggesting here is a radical change in thinking. Instead of being outcome-specific in our prayers, wouldn’t it be better to take our hands off wheel and let Jesus decide what’s best for us?

True story, my first book had been in hands of one company for more than a year. They had been promising during course of that year that it would be out “next month.” However, “next months” had strung together to make a year, and I was getting frustrated. Throughout course of year, I had gotten these little pushes that I was to put out a second book with a different company, but I resisted. I didn’t want two books out at same time. I didn’t want anyone in first company mad because I went with a second company. In short, I was paralyzed by a decision that could radically change my future, and I wasn’t at all sure which choice to make.

So, I made a deal with God. I basically told Him that I didn’t know what He wanted me to do, and I didn’t want to make a mistake. So if He didn’t want me to put out second book, He needed to get someone from company one to contact me in next two weeks. Then I put that decision aside and went to work on other things. When deadline came, I still hadn’t heard anything, so I said, “Okay, 24 more hours, and then I send it in.”

Still nothing. So I sent second book. Two days later company one emailed to give me a publicist. When she later questioned second book, I said, “God made decision not me.” You know, I have never regretted that decision—even though it was highly unconventional.

I’m not saying you should go around giving God ultimatums. I now realize a simpler method is just to put every day in His hands. Give Him reins of deciding what’s most important for your time. Then when things work out, you know it was His will. When things don’t work out like you expected, it was His will, and He has a better idea.

Then all you have to do is do your best, work as hard as you can, and let Him make decisions. Pray only for guidance and for peace no matter what happens, and I think you will be amazed at number of incredible answers that will start popping up in your life.