Serving From the Sidelines: When the Vision is Foggy

There’s a quiet place in the Kingdom that nobody really talks about. It’s not the spotlight. It’s not the stage. It’s not the space where people applaud your consistency or celebrate your gifts.

It’s the sidelines. The place where you’re obedient but unseen, faithful but uncertain, present but not always confident. A place where no one is clapping, but Heaven is watching. A place where your spirit is active, even when your steps feel small.

And honestly, that’s where I’ve been. Maybe you have too.

I’m in a season where I don’t always know my next move. I can feel God stirring and shifting something, but the details are foggy. The timeline is unknown. And instead of panicking, God is teaching me how to breathe here, how to trust here, how to serve here.

Not because I’m perfect. Not because I never doubt. But because even when I question, I’m still His daughter. A human one. A daughter who tries, wrestles, trusts, and shows up the best she can.

Moses: The Deliverer Who Began as the Doubter

We love Moses the leader. The man who parted seas and confronted Pharaoh. But before any of that, Moses lived on the sidelines.

He spent years tending sheep in the wilderness. Far from Egypt and far from any kind of influence or calling he once imagined. That was his silent season. His hidden training. His behind-the-scenes preparation.

So when God finally spoke to him from the burning bush, Moses didn’t respond with confidence. He responded with insecurity.

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” Exodus 3:11

He doubted himself. He questioned his ability. He even argued with God. And yet, God didn’t take the assignment away.

He simply said: “I will be with you.” Exodus 3:12

Not “I will give you every detail. ”Not “I will show you the full plan. ”Just “I will be with you.” Sometimes, God’s presence is the clarity.

My Sideline Season as a Stay-At-Home Wife

This season of being home — this quiet, tucked-away chapter — has become one of the deepest spiritual training grounds God has ever placed me in. And not everyone understands that.

Some people see staying home as a simple blessing. An opportunity. A chance to rest while your husband works hard. And yes, it is a blessing. But that’s not how I see it. I don’t look at anything in my life through surface-level logic. I see everything through spiritual lenses.

God is too intentional and too creative to give me a season that is “just about being home.” He is a detail-oriented God who layers purpose into every moment. He doesn’t write filler chapters. Every part of the story has weight.

So I know there is more written into this season than what I can see right now. More purpose. More training. More refining. More spiritual shaping happening behind the scenes.

Yes, I cook, clean, nurture, and maintain. But I also intercede, learn obedience, heal, grow, and develop spiritual muscles that busy seasons don’t always allow space for. Serving from home is not small. It is not secondary. It is not less than. It is holy ground disguised as ordinary days. And God is meeting me here.

A Teaching Moment: God Uses the Sidelines to Sharpen You

Here’s what God has been teaching me:

The sidelines are not a setback. They are preparation.

He uses quiet seasons to sharpen discernment, develop patience, strengthen character, and remove distractions. He uses still moments to align your spirit with His voice.

David learned courage in the fields long before he ever faced Goliath. Joseph learned leadership in a prison, not a palace. Ruth found her destiny in a harvest field, not a spotlight. Esther spent years in preparation before she ever stood before a king.

Hidden seasons create sight. They teach you to recognize God in the ordinary and hear Him in the quiet. When you learn to trust God in the fog, you’ll walk confidently when the fog lifts.

Trusting God Without the Blueprint

Trusting God blindly is not glamorous or aesthetic. It’s vulnerable. It’s stretching. It’s humbling. It’s real. It’s praying even when you feel unsure. It’s surrendering even when you don’t understand. It’s choosing trust even when the path ahead is blurry.

Scripture says: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

A lamp. Not a spotlight, not a map, not a full-color blueprint. Just enough light for the next step.

God gives you just enough to keep you close. It’s not about seeing the whole road. It’s about staying near to Him.

When You Feel Lost or Unsure, Remember This

You are not behind. You are not overlooked. You are not wasting time. You are not doing nothing. Your prayers shift atmospheres. Your presence covers your home spiritually. Your small steps are seen in Heaven.

You can be unsure and still be obedient. You can be hidden and still be chosen. You can question and still be called.

God does His deepest work in the places nobody sees.

If you’re in a foggy season like me, where the next step is unclear and your role feels quiet but your spirit feels stretched, hear this:

You are exactly where God needs you. You are not forgotten. You are not invisible. You are being prepared.

He is shaping your voice, your patience, your spiritual authority, your discernment, and your character. He is developing you to carry the next chapter well.

Keep trusting. Keep listening. Keep serving. Keep showing up. Even from the sidelines. Especially from the sidelines. Because that is where God trains His strongest daughters.

Journal Prompts

1. What deeper purpose might God be shaping in me during this current season, especially in the roles that feel overlooked or ordinary?

2. Where is God asking me to trust Him with one small step, even if the full picture isn’t clear yet?

xx

Santa Naisha