Trust God in the Process
I started a series called ‘Upgrade Diaries’ on my Instagram and TikTok pages where I’m documenting my journey of aligning my entire life with God’s vision. It all started with my husband’s and my search for a new couch for our home; I came to the realization that I’d gotten into a habit of settling, and then the Lord told me my word for 2026 is ‘Upgrade’. You can read more about the backstory here.
My intention was to share an update on how things are going, but to be honest, I initially didn’t think I had much to report. This is mainly because most of what I’ve been working on ‘upgrading’ with God lately has been my mindset. Not that it isn’t significant—actually, it’s the most important part in my opinion!—but it’s a bit more difficult to describe. Ever since that moment of realization, it’s like a light switch went off somewhere in my mind. I feel more convinced now about things God has spoken to me concerning my calling, my family, and my overall life than ever before.
It hasn't all been easy, though. Full transparency: I’ve had plenty of moments where I wanted to throw in the towel. I’ve had moments where I felt like things were actually getting worse instead of better, and where I felt like no progress was happening at all. I’ve had moments where I was too hard on myself and almost got caught up in a spiral of thinking I wasn’t doing enough. In those moments, I’ve had to learn how to process things with God. Usually, that looks like journaling or just talking it out with Him. Sometimes I just sit quietly in worship. Honestly, playing worship music while I’m standing quietly in the shower with the warm water flowing has been a major way for me to relax and hear Him when things get overwhelming (idk why that’s been so effective lately LOL).
All of this isn’t anything new though—we’ve all had those moments throughout our lives. But trusting the process has been key for me, although I know that can be easier said than done.
A small example I think about is how it feels whenever I start a new painting. It never fails—somewhere in the beginning, I start to question my skills. But then I continue forward, and what was once a feeling of, “Oh God, this is going to look horrendous—I hope I can do this,” turns into, “Okayyy, look at you Giselle, you artist!” (LOL). At this point, I’ve gotten used to things initially looking a little crazy before they get better—at least when it comes to painting.
starting my painting ‘New Creation/Living Waters’ (left) vs it nearly finished (right)
With art, it has felt significantly simpler to get used to trusting the process. With life, getting to that point can feel like an abstract concept.
I used to believe that ‘trusting the process’ in life meant you needed to react and handle everything perfectly—otherwise, you weren’t really doing it right. If something unexpected happens, don’t you dare worry or panic! If you haven’t seen any progress yet, you better not ever feel like you want to give up. Now, I realize that trusting the process has a lot more to do with surrender to God than with anything else.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had plenty of instances where I somehow deluded myself into believing I had control over anything beyond "me, myself, and I." I would convince myself it was as simple as, “if I do 1 + 2, it will guaranteed = 3.” But while math is that simple, life is not so linear. That expectation would often lead to frustration and disappointment, which led to me giving up when I didn’t see anything happen, instead of realizing I just needed to endure.
It’s in God’s character to "process" us and allow us to learn endurance and perseverance before we reach the end result, so that we “may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4).
If you’ve ever been taught about the prophetic, you may have learned that when God releases a word, it is tested. That doesn’t mean God is being tested or testing His own word. It means we are being tested—the receivers of the word. The test is whether you’ll agree and whether you’ll actually stand in faith, trusting God even when the enemy, your own emotions, or circumstances try to convince you otherwise.
So, in this season, trusting the process looks like deciding that even if I feel a certain way, or see things differently than they should be, I will not be moved from believing the Lord and pressing forward. If I stumble a little bit here and there, God is gracious to pick me (and you) back up again.
Yes, I (and maybe you reading this) have had moments of doubt, disappointments that shook me more than I’d like to admit, and frustrations when nothing seems to be shifting. But will you trust God?
Will you have faith like Abraham, who waited long for God’s promise to be fulfilled?
Or Joseph, who endured betrayal from his own brothers and false accusations from those he served faithfully?
Or David, who had to wait to fully step into his calling as king and honor his own leader who wanted to kill him because of jealousy? As a matter of fact, look at how David cried out to the Lord time and time again, made plenty of mistakes, and yet he was considered a man after God’s own heart.
It pleases the Lord when we choose to obey, trust, surrender, and draw close to Him no matter how things may look or feel. It doesn’t always mean you’ll feel strong, courageous, or confident. That’s when you get to tap into God’s strength.
This is the difference I’ve noticed in myself since starting this upgrade journey—how I get back up a little faster, how I run to God a little more quickly, and how I reject the lies of the enemy a little more firmly. Externally, things may not look significantly different. Some things may even look worse. But I choose to trust the Lord more than what I can see tangibly. I encourage you to do the same.
If you remain in God’s presence, you will start to see the growth and the fruit, even if it feels gradual.
Scriptures to Meditate On In YouR Process
Hebrews 11 (The "Hall of Faith")
2 Corinthians 5:7 – "For we walk by faith, not by sight."
James 1:2-18 – On trials and perseverance.
Genesis 37-50 – The story of Joseph (one of my faves to reread for encouragement and wisdom).
Philippians 4:6-9 – Peace through prayer.
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trusting in the Lord with all your heart.
Isaiah 26:3 – Perfect peace for those who stay their minds on Him.
Jeremiah 29:11 – God's plans for your hope and a future.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 – The blessing of the man who trusts in the Lord.
Which part of the 'process' is the hardest for you to navigate right now—the beginning where everything feels messy, or the middle where you're waiting for things to finally shift? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
If you ever want to share anything connected to this post or in general, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to email me at giselle@creatinghallelujahs.com or message me on Instagram @creatinghallelujahs. I check those regularly, and everything stays confidential unless you give permission to share.
