Hey friend, Can I ask you something? How has God been speaking to you lately? When have you felt His voice the clearest? Maybe an answer immediately came to mind. Or maybe you’re thinking,  Honestly? Heaven feels pretty quiet right now.

If that’s you, you’re not alone. 

We’ve all had seasons where we desperately want a neon sign from heaven, only to feel like we’re getting radio silence instead. But I’ve been learning that God often doesn’t speak the loudest in the big, dramatic, mountaintop moments we expect. Sometimes He shows up in the most ordinary, random, and honestly kind of ridiculous moments of everyday life. The other day, He used a pair of AirPods to remind me of that truth. And trust me, it wasn’t the spiritual lesson I was expecting that day… Like every girl in her twenties romanticizing a day of meetings, emails, and desk work, I decided to spend the morning working from a cute antique coffee shop in Historic Downtown Franklin, Tennessee (think Hallmark movie meets Nashville). Dressed in my favorite thrifted oversized overalls, I grabbed my bag and headed for the door.

Then I froze.

My AirPods were missing. How was I supposed to have a productive workday without my carefully curated lo-fi playlist serenading me in the background?Naturally, I began a full-scale search operation. I checked my desk. My nightstand. My purse. Under the couch cushions. Every corner of my room. Nothing. After about twenty minutes of searching (okay, maybe ten, but it felt like twenty), I finally accepted defeat. There was only one option left: The old faithful wired earbuds. You know the ones. The ancient artifacts that somehow survived every technological advancement of the last decade. Slightly humbled, I reached under my bed to dig them out. And then, there they were. My AirPods! Somehow they had slipped underneath my bed while charging. Not only had I found them, but they were sitting there at full battery. At that moment, I couldn’t help but laugh. Not just at the ridiculousness of the situation, but at the way my Heavenly Father gently teaches me lessons when I least expect them. It felt like He was reinforcing something that He’s been teaching me all year:

It’s not until we become content in the portion God has placed before us that He often decides to upgrade it.

We often see this principle throughout Scripture, and one of my favorite examples is in the life of David. Before he wore a crown, he faithfully tended sheep. Before he led a nation, he served King Saul. Before he was celebrated, he spent years being overlooked. And perhaps the wildest part? The very king that David served and honored was the same king who would later persecute him. Sometimes God calls us to go low and give the honor we wish we were receiving. Not because He’s forgotten us. Not because He’s punishing us. But because humility is often the pathway He uses to prepare us.

1 Peter 5:6 says: “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time He may exalt you.”

Can I tell you my least favorite part of that verse? “At the proper time.” No timeline. No countdown. No estimated delivery date. Just trust. As someone who loves a plan, a spreadsheet, and clear instructions, this part makes me want to insert a dramatic eye roll every time I read it in my Bible. But when I look closer at the verse, I notice something important. There are two actions happening: 

Humble yourself. He will exalt.

One belongs to me. One belongs to God. The humbling is my responsibility. The exalting is His. And while we wait between those two moments, God isn’t wasting time. He’s refining. He’s sanctifying. He’s shaping our character to steward the very things we’re praying for. Which brings me back to my AirPods… When I found them, one detail immediately stood out: They were fully charged. Though they were hidden, they were still being prepared for exactly what they were created to do. And I couldn’t help but wonder how often God does the same thing in our lives… How many prayers feel hidden when they’re actually being prepared? How many dreams feel forgotten when they’re actually being charged for the right moment? How many blessings seem delayed when God is simply making them ready?

I recently heard a song lyric that says: “You take Your time, so I can’t wait to see what You do with mine.” And honestly, that’s the posture I’m learning to adopt. Because during those few minutes of searching for my AirPods, God wasn’t just teaching me about patience. He was exposing the difference between my desire and the vessel attached to it. My desire was simple: I wanted to listen to music. The vessel attached to that desire? My AirPods. What I realized is that God honored my desire. But He wanted me to loosen my grip on how that desire had to be fulfilled. The moment I became willing to use the wired earbuds, I found the AirPods.

And isn’t that often how God works? We surrender the dream. Then we realize we also have to surrender the timeline. Then we realize we also have to surrender the method. And suddenly following Jesus feels a lot less like a sprint and a lot more like a slow trot of trust.

It’s one thing to surrender our desires to God. It’s a completely different thing to surrender their timing and method of delivery.

Maybe you’re waiting for a relationship. A promotion. A breakthrough. A new opportunity. A clearer sense of purpose. Or maybe you’re just asking God for more joy on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon. Whatever season you’re in, take heart: God is not preparing you instead of your blessing. He’s often preparing both you and the blessing at the same time. And can I tell you the sweetest revelation I’ve discovered?

The blessing was ultimately never the AirPods. Or the boyfriend. Or the promotion. Or the smaller pants size. Or even the answered prayer.

The blessing has always been His presence. Because if we’re honest, haven’t we all experienced getting something we desperately wanted only to realize we’re still longing for more? The promotion comes, and there’s another goal. The relationship comes, and there are still insecurities. The accomplishment comes, and somehow the satisfaction doesn’t last as long as we expected.

That’s because what our hearts are truly craving isn’t a change in circumstances. It’s closeness with Jesus.

Psalm 84:11 says: “He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly.”

Friend, God isn’t holding out on you. He’s holding out for you. When Jesus tells us to seek first the Kingdom, He’s not withholding blessings. He’s showing us where they’re ultimately fulfilled. Because His presence satisfies what achievement never can. His peace settles what no relationship can. His love fills what no earthly success ever could.

And when we stop chasing blessings and start chasing Him, we often discover He was preparing both us and the blessing all along. Take it from me—a girl whose life looks nothing like she thought it would: God’s ways are always better. And maybe, just maybe, those wired headphones wouldn’t have been so bad after all 😉