Moving On From Old Dreams and Finding God’s Purpose in Unexpected Seasons
Can I tell you something? Moving on from old dreams is not just about closing chapters. It’s about grabbing hold of something that you could never have seen coming. I’ve been there—the uncomfortable spot where life veers in a direction no one planned for. If you’ve ever wondered what God is doing with your plans or felt the ache of leaving something good behind for something unknown, we’re sharing the same table today, Finding Faith After Loss.
Our recent podcast episode brought Anna’s voice to the forefront—a friend, a mama, a woman faced with the very real work of moving on from old dreams she loved. Her life shifted in ways she never imagined as she became the mother of a medically complex child. Her story isn’t just about loss—it’s about how God gives us a new calling, sometimes right where we wanted something else, as explored in Finding Faith After Loss.
Why Moving On From Old Dreams Hurts But Grows Us
Here’s the thing. Sometimes moving on from old dreams is not a choice—it just happens. You map out your life with love and care, you picture the way things will work out, and then in a moment, everything changes. I’ve felt this too. Anna shared her dream of opening a Montessori preschool, planning every detail down to the name. Then, life called her to a road no parenting manual or business book could prepare you for.
Letting go is hard because we loved what we built, and Spiritual self-care in difficult seasons. Those dreams felt safe, possible, and personal, Gratitude Practices for Healing can help. When we lay them down, it feels like a little loss. But in that space? God meets us. Not with a tidy new blueprint, but with Himself—faithful in the absence of answers, as described in Finding God in Hard Times: How Grace and Faith Carry Us Through. If you’re moving on from old dreams right now, you are not alone—see Gratitude Practices for Healing for practical steps to heal. This is where God loves to work, and you can find thoughtful encouragement in Building Christian Community Support During Adversity.
Trading Our Plans for God's Peace
I have to ask, have you ever wondered why your plans fell apart? Or why some prayers seem to meet silence? Anna’s journey reminded me that God often answers with something different than we expect. Sometimes what starts as heartbreak becomes a miracle, Finding purpose in suffering today. Sometimes a closed door is a rescue, even if it takes a while to see it that way.
Anna described it perfectly. She said she watched her old dreams sail away. But that wasn’t the end. She found strength she didn’t know she had, and so did her family. Moving on from old dreams created space for God’s peace—even when circumstances were messy.
What Faith Looks Like in the Middle of Change
Let’s be real. Faith in the hard places is not just a feeling. It’s an action. It’s showing up for the next day when the old story has ended and the new story is still unknown. When Anna shared how she sat in the NICU, uncertain and exhausted, I could almost feel the air in the room. She wasn’t sure she could do it. But she did—one small step at a time.
Maybe you’re in the waiting too. Maybe the old dream is gone and the new one has not yet taken shape. Faith here is as small as trusting God for the next six months, or honestly, just trusting for today. None of us plan for our entire world to flip upside down. But God is steady, even when our plans crumble. Faith means believing He’s good, even when good looks different than what we pictured.
Clinging to Promises When You Feel Unqualified
I get it. There are moments we all feel unqualified for the work God sets in front of us. Anna said something that many women know but rarely say out loud. She felt like there had to be someone better for her child’s unique needs—more qualified, more prepared. But God called her anyway. Not because she was perfect, but because He knew she could love her daughter through whatever came. You see, God equips even while He calls. And He sees us when we feel hidden, lost, or overwhelmed.
In Genesis, Hagar finds herself alone, afraid, and unseen. But God meets her right in that desert. She declares, “You are El Roi, the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13, CSB). That verse gives me chills every time. God sees you in the place where you’re moving on from old dreams. None of it is wasted.
How Moving On From Old Dreams Shapes Our Family and Faith
Moving on from old dreams reshapes more than just our personal plans—it changes our homes, our children, our communities. Anna talked about how her whole family shifted when her youngest was born with complex needs. They learned to live differently, narrowing their circles for a season, learning to serve each other in new ways. Community got closer. Priorities changed. Joy looked smaller but ran deeper.
I’m convinced that as we release the stories we wrote for ourselves, God writes something better for the next generation. I see this in my own house—every time plans change or routines crumble, I watch my kids adapt, learn, and grow in ways a comfortable life could never teach.
Everyday Choices That Keep Us Grounded
Let me get practical. What does it look like to stay grounded when moving on from old dreams? For Anna, it was keeping church and community central, even when it took effort. Sometimes it was as simple as going outside for a walk or making sure everyone got fed. Sometimes it meant saying “no” to things outside the home so her family could breathe.
I tell my kids, just like Anna, that we are a team. We support each other. We are honest about hard days, but we also celebrate the laughter and the victories—no matter how small. We share stories about the days that didn’t go to plan, and we keep God at the heart of our table. Church, Scripture, and honest conversation keep faith alive, even when the path is winding.
Practical Hope for Those Moving On From Old Dreams Right Now
Maybe you’re right in the messy middle. You see your old dream drifting away, and you’re wondering if anything good can come out of this. Let me remind you, God is not finished. Moving on from old dreams does not mean your story is over. There is grace for today, and hope for tomorrow.
- Prioritize your family and your faith. Let the circles get smaller if needed;
- Ask for help when you are overwhelmed (bring in a friend or family if you can);
- Recognize that it’s ok to grieve the old dream while accepting the new calling on your life;
- Stay rooted in Scripture, even if you can only cling to one verse;
- Look for God’s presence in small mercies each day.
I want you to hear this—moving on from old dreams is not failure. It is making room for God to work. Every time I’ve let go, God has shown up in ways I could not predict.
God Sees You In the Surrender
“The Lord was with Joseph, and he prospered” (Genesis 39:2, CSB). God did not promise removal from all trouble, but He promised to be present. Anna clung to this during her hardest days. I do too. When you surrender your plans, God's purpose starts showing itself in the most surprising ways. He is with you in the release, and He’s with you as a new thing is born—even if it looks nothing like you expected.
Let’s Keep Moving Forward—Together
Friend, if you’re moving on from old dreams right now, you don’t need to make it pretty or perfect. Bring your questions. Bring your grief. God sees it all, and He is faithful in every season. There is purpose on the other side of surrender even if you cannot see it yet. Community will walk with you, and faith will steady your heart as you step into a new story.
If any of Anna’s story sounds familiar, or if you just need encouragement as you say goodbye to your own plans, I hope you’ll listen to our full podcast episode. We get honest about the mess, hold onto hope, and put faith into practice—one step at a time.
Keep moving on from old dreams. God is already in the new thing He’s calling you to. And so are we—walking right alongside you. Listen to the full conversation on the podcast for more hope and real-life wisdom. We’re in this together.
For more encouragement and practical faith stories, check out past episodes of Perspectives Into Practice and read other blog posts like Living in God's Purpose When Life Changes.
