I’ve been feeling a bit down this week, and I think it stems from realizing – yet again– that I can’t control the outcomes of so many things I’m involved in. No surprise there.  When the results depend on others, whether they’re already in the picture or yet to come, I often feel alone, like I’m carrying the entire burden on my shoulders. I hear this same sentiment from many business owners I work with. They often describe the experience of ownership as isolating and lonely because, ultimately, the full weight of responsibility rests on them.

I believe that the feelings of loneliness and burden can be one of the ways God draws us toward a deeper conviction to fully surrender. It reminds me of John Ortberg’s reflections on the 12 Steps, originally developed by a Christian church group and later popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous. In his new book Steps, releasing this week, he emphasizes that personal transformation begins with the first step: having a conviction that something needs to change—full surrender.

This week, I was especially encouraged when John Ortberg’s Become New podcast devotional focused on the very topic of surrender. With God, there are no coincidences. He allowed me to walk through this journey so I could see, more clearly than ever, just how much He is guiding me in this lesson of surrender.

This week, I am reminded of how near God is in my interactions with people. How do I know? I see His hand at work in these moments.

Out of the blue, I received a text from a business school friend I hadn’t spoken to in years. As we caught up, I asked about his walk with the Lord and had the opportunity to share my own journey of spiritual formation—along with the journey our church has been on. Then, during a call with a friend about her spiritual journey and unique spiritual gifts, I felt a strong nudge to encourage her to start a ministry. To my surprise, it aligned perfectly with conversations she had already been having with someone else in our church—something I hadn’t known.

Reflecting on multiple conversations I’ve had recently—including last week’s interview with Hunter and the prior week’s interview with Josh Kishaba—I felt another nudge, this time to start a men’s group. Through all of this, I can see that God is near, giving me ears to hear, a heart to feel, and eyes to see the world as He does. And through these interactions, He continues to reveal just how deeply He loves people—and how He is calling me to take action.