Day 38

Steph Young | Re:Hope West End

Whenever I feel scared, I sing this song over and over…

🎶 Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness 🎶

I was having a particularly challenging time just over a year ago when I fell hillwalking and fractured my ankle. An x-ray at the local hospital in Arran showed I had a spiral fracture and would need air-ambulanced to the Queen Elizabeth, with my 4 month old baby strapped to me. 

I am so thankful to God for so many answered prayers during this time. Firstly, that my sister was able to help me look after my baby while I was in surgery. That in those scariest first moments, God would send a doctor who was a good friend’s brother, who happened to be on shift on a nearby ward — to not only visit but bring cake! That God would send a friendly face when I needed it most, and provide an anaesthetist to talk me through it all; someone who I knew, who attends Re:Hope, whose wife was already praying for me through our Bible Read Through group.

The consultants told me it might take 6-12 weeks to recover, and this seemed unimaginable with three young children to care for at home. In fact, it took fourteen months to be discharged from the fracture clinic. I was ambulanced back and forth for fracture clinic appointments and I attended weekly physio. For most of last year, I was feeling anxious about the short walk to drop the kids off at school; the uneven pavements felt unmanageable and there were dark times during recovery. But God cares for us deeply. He knows our every need, and He always sent help when we cried out for help. Even a childminder all paid for, set up through our health visitor, who happened to be a Christian and youth pastor living round the corner from us. 

Somehow we got through it. I was finally discharged in April this year and I walked my first 5k this summer. I enjoy being able to walk my kids to school. I am so grateful for my Bible Read Through group; for their support, physically and for their prayers. I know there are still improvements to be made, and I am a work in progress, so we will keep praying for full recovery of my ankle. 

When you feel stuck in the moment, remember God sees the bigger picture. He cares for you and he knows what you need, so reach out to Him. 

Sangeetha Mani | Re:Hope Southside

I never openly shared my desire to return to work, feeling embarrassed and unsure if it was even possible. But God heard the silent longing of my heart, even when I couldn’t voice it. After a 13-year career break, I honestly didn’t expect to get a job at all. Though I was a qualified architect, my confidence was at an all-time low, and the idea of re-entering the workforce felt daunting.

God heard my heart, He knew my desires. In August 2022, God opened the door for me to return to work, through a role in project management, outside of my original field. It felt like a miracle. I was offered the position of Assistant Project Manager; it felt like a plan that only God could have orchestrated.

Three years into this role, I began to feel a strong desire to progress in my career. Though I hadn't prayed for it specifically, I sensed that God was preparing me for something more. I remember distinctly feeling God telling me, “I will promote you.” At first, I dismissed it, thinking it was just my own hopes. But the more I prayed, the stronger that conviction became.

Then, on February 25 2025, while in prayer, it became undeniable. God was speaking clearly to me, telling me that this was the time for promotion. It was such a powerful, unmistakable word that I immediately wrote it down and emailed it to myself, capturing the exact time and date. I make it a habit to record when I feel God speaks to me, so I can honour His voice and remember His promises.

At that time, I hadn’t applied for any new roles, and there were no visible job openings. But I believed that if this word was from God, He would make a way. So, I took a step of faith and asked my manager about the possibility of advancing into a higher role.

My manager informed me that, due to government funding cuts, there were no new positions available. It seemed like a closed door. But I held on to the promise that God had spoken to me, believing that He would make a way where there seemed to be none.

A few weeks later, I received an email with the incredible news: a Project Manager position had opened up as maternity cover. And just as God had promised, I was offered the role!

This experience has taught me three powerful truths:

- God sees us even when we feel forgotten, unqualified, or overlooked.

- God hears even our silent prayers, those desires of our hearts that we may never speak aloud, He knows and responds to.

- God’s timing is perfect, and His faithfulness never fails.

---

Take some time to speak to God (out loud, or written down) some of the desires/needs that you’ve maybe not clearly expressed before.