When God Has His Hand on Your Life: A Story of Faith, Loss, Restoration, and Purpose

Faith Conversations with Host Sarah Rose | Special Guest Justin Parish

What happens when life takes you through circumstances you never imagined, yet God continues to reveal His faithfulness along the way?

Sometimes we don't recognize God's hand in our lives until we look back and see all the moments when He was protecting us, directing us, connecting us with the right people, and preparing us for something greater than we could have ever imagined.

In this powerful episode of Faith Conversations, I had the privilege of sitting down with Justin Parish, a lifelong cowboy, horseman, husband, father, and man of tremendous faith.

Justin's testimony is one of hardship, divine encounters, heartbreaking loss, restoration, and discovering that God's purpose for our lives often extends far beyond ourselves.

What I loved most about this conversation was Justin's unwavering conviction that no matter what life brings, God remains faithful.

His story reminds us that our circumstances do not determine our destination, and sometimes the very things we believe God has promised us are fulfilled in ways we never expected.

A Cowboy's Beginning: God Was There All Along

Born and raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Justin grew up immersed in the Western lifestyle. His family had deep roots in ranching and rodeo, including decades of involvement with the parade horses at Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Horses, roping, rodeo, and ranching were simply a way of life.

But behind that Western upbringing was a difficult childhood.

Justin shared that he wasn't raised in a Christian home and that his father's heavy drinking created an environment he desperately wanted to escape.

At the time, Justin didn't understand that God was already working in his life.

Looking back today, however, he sees things differently.

He recognizes that even before he knew God personally, God's hand had been upon him.

In 1990, Justin moved to Texas, and that move became the beginning of a spiritual transformation.

He encountered people whose love, compassion, kindness, and faith were different from what he had previously experienced.

Something about their lives drew him closer to Christ.

Isn't that a beautiful reminder of the responsibility we have as believers?

We may never know how our kindness, encouragement, or willingness to walk alongside someone might become the very thing that introduces them to the love of Jesus.

Divine Connections Are Never Wasted

One of the recurring themes throughout Justin's testimony was the people God placed in his path.

From rodeo producer Jerome Robinson to Christian mentor Bob Donaldson and his family, Justin began encountering individuals who would influence not only his career but, more importantly, his spiritual journey.

Then came an encounter that would forever change his understanding of God's presence.

While working a rodeo in Franklin, Tennessee, Justin learned that Greg and Marva Phelps, a couple connected to his Christian friends, happened to be in the same town.

They had never met Justin.

Yet Greg invited him to stop by their motorhome so they could pray over him.

During that prayer, Justin recalls that Greg and Marva began speaking about details of his childhood, God's protection over him, and things concerning his future that they could not have known through ordinary conversation.

For Justin, this was a defining moment.

It was no longer simply hearing other people talk about God.

It was experiencing God personally.

Through that encounter, Justin began to understand something he had never fully grasped before:

His life had a purpose, and God had never abandoned him.

The relationship that began that day continues decades later.

What a reminder that God can use one encounter, one conversation, or one obedient person to redirect the course of someone's life.

Proverbs 3:5–6 reminds us to trust in the Lord rather than rely solely on our own understanding, acknowledging Him as He directs our paths.

When God's Promise Doesn't Match Your Circumstances

As Justin continued building his life in Texas, he married his wife, Tammy, and began training horses.

But approximately five years into their marriage, Tammy told him she was leaving.

They eventually divorced and spent about a year apart.

For Justin, it was a confusing and painful season. He believed God had spoken promises over his future, yet everything around him seemed to be falling apart.

During this time, he leaned heavily on his spiritual mentors, including Greg Phelps and Pastor Gary Oliver.

He also began pursuing professional rodeo more seriously, despite having very few financial resources.

Justin shared that Greg sent him $5,000 from the tithe of a property sale, helping him begin that journey.

Then, one day while sitting in church, Justin recalls hearing God speak two simple words:

"World champion."

He questioned what he had heard.

He didn't have the resources. He didn't have the equipment. His marriage was broken, and his circumstances looked nothing like those of a world champion.

Yet he believed God repeated those words three times.

Within months, Tammy called, and their relationship was eventually restored.

Today, Justin speaks about their marriage with tremendous gratitude.

But the promise of a world championship was still unfolding.

And as we would discover later in our conversation, sometimes we hear God's promise correctly but misunderstand how He intends to fulfill it.

Faith Through Unimaginable Loss

Perhaps the most emotional part of our conversation came when Justin shared what happened in 2010.

Justin had partnered with his close friend Trey Johnson to pursue rodeo. The two were beginning to find success, and Justin believed they were following the direction God had placed before them.

But that year brought one difficult circumstance after another.

Trey was dealing with illness, Justin's wife was expecting their second child, and the demands of rodeo continued.

While traveling to a rodeo in Lawton, Oklahoma, Justin received a phone call from Tammy.

Their baby was coming a month early.

After competing, Justin and Trey immediately turned around and headed back toward Weatherford, Texas.

When Justin arrived, he discovered that their newborn son, Devin, was facing severe medical complications.

Devin was transferred to Cook Children's, where the family learned that he had serious heart complications and showed signs of Down syndrome.

Eventually, Justin and Tammy were faced with an unimaginable medical decision. After being told their son would have no quality of life, they made the heartbreaking decision to let him go.

There are moments in life for which words simply cannot provide comfort.

And this was one of them.

Justin spoke openly about his grief, the financial concerns that followed, and how close he came to walking away from rodeo altogether.

Yet he also spoke about the people who refused to let him walk through that season alone.

Trey remained by his side. Tammy's employer encouraged them to finish the rodeo season together, assuring her that her job would be there when they returned.

Even in the middle of tremendous loss, people continued to show up.

Justin also recalled receiving an overwhelming initial insurance claim following Devin's medical care. Yet, according to Justin, they never received another claim, and to this day, he doesn't know how those expenses were resolved.

As he reflected on that season, his message was not that following God means we will never experience pain.

Quite the opposite.

Life is real. Heartbreak is real. Challenges are real.

But so is God.

And even when we cannot understand what is happening, we can continue trusting Him.

The Promise Was Bigger Than Justin

Remember those two words Justin believed God spoke to him years earlier?

"World champion."

For years, Justin assumed those words were about his own rodeo career.

But as his oldest son, Denton, began developing his roping abilities, Justin started to see that promise from an entirely different perspective.

Denton went on to win a world championship in dummy roping and another in the Paint Horse Association.

Justin became emotional as he shared this realization.

He had spent years believing the promise was about him, only to discover that perhaps he had been preparing the way for someone else.

What Justin once viewed as his own calling had become something much greater.

He also believes that his son's success carries a spiritual significance connected to the loss of Devin, describing it as a double portion.

It was never simply about a trophy, title, or personal achievement.

It was about legacy.

It was about the generations that would follow.

And it was about recognizing that God's plans can extend far beyond what we initially understand.

This part of Justin's testimony especially touched me.

How often do we place limitations on God's promises because we interpret them through our own expectations?

We imagine what the outcome should look like, when it should happen, and how God should accomplish it.

But what if His plan is bigger than us?

What if the road we are walking today is preparing the way for someone else tomorrow?

Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to His power working in us.

Your Calling Is About More Than You

Today, Justin and Tammy continue using their home, horses, and love of roping to invest in young men.

Justin shared that they currently have young men living with them, learning the skills of roping while also being surrounded by faith, mentorship, encouragement, and family.

What these young men may initially see as an opportunity to improve their roping abilities, Justin sees as something much more meaningful.

An opportunity to speak into their lives.

To help them grow.

To demonstrate what it means to be a man of faith, character, and responsibility.

To become the kind of influence that others once were to him.

During our conversation, I reflected on how beautifully this brings his story full circle.

Years ago, God placed people in Justin's life who were willing to walk alongside him, encourage him, teach him, and help him discover his purpose.

Now Justin has become that person for someone else.

Isn't that what we are all called to do?

We each have a part to play in God's greater plan.

Our role may look different from someone else's, but that doesn't make it any less significant.

The people God places in our lives are not accidental.

Sometimes we are the ones who need encouragement, and sometimes we are called to be the encouragement someone else desperately needs.

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 reminds us that God comforts us in our troubles so that we can extend that same comfort to others.

The Higher the Calling, the Greater the Responsibility

One statement Justin shared from Pastor Gary Oliver stayed with me:

"The higher the call, the higher the price."

Justin has learned that walking in God's purpose doesn't mean life becomes easy.

There are sacrifices. There are challenges. There are moments when you question whether you have the strength to continue.

But he also recognizes that our lives are not solely about us.

They are about the people connected to us.

Justin described how the rope has become a tool God uses to bring people together.

Something that began as a passion and a profession has become a doorway to relationships, mentorship, and ministry.

What an important perspective.

Your business, career, hobby, talents, and experiences may be the very tools God intends to use to reach someone else.

You don't have to stand behind a pulpit to minister to people.

Sometimes ministry happens in a barn, around a kitchen table, in a rodeo arena, or during an ordinary conversation.

The question is whether we are willing to let God use what He has placed in our hands.

A Final Message: We Are Going to Be Okay

As we began wrapping up our conversation, Justin wanted listeners to understand one thing above everything else.

Life will bring challenges, regardless of who we are or how strong our faith may be.

But his confidence is not based on circumstances.

It is rooted in his relationship with Jesus Christ and the eternal hope found in Him.

Justin shared:

"Life may not make us okay, but if you're saved and born again ... we're okay."

What a powerful perspective.

Our earthly circumstances are temporary, but our relationship with Jesus offers us an eternal promise.

Justin closed our conversation in prayer, thanking God for His faithfulness and asking that those listening would recognize His availability, draw closer to Him, and experience His transforming love.

His prayer was that more people would come to know God personally, just as he had all those years ago.

My Reflection: Look Back and See His Hand

As I reflected on this conversation with Justin, I kept coming back to one thought:

God was working long before Justin understood what He was doing.

Through a difficult childhood, a move to Texas, the people who entered his life, a restored marriage, the heartbreak of losing a child, and the unexpected fulfillment of a promise, Justin can now look back and recognize God's presence throughout his journey.

Perhaps you are in a season right now where nothing makes sense.

Maybe you believe God has spoken something over your life, but your circumstances seem to contradict it.

Maybe you have experienced loss, disappointment, or setbacks that have caused you to question what comes next.

I want to encourage you today: Don't allow your current circumstances to become the final definition of your story.

Continue seeking God. Continue listening. Continue trusting.

And don't overlook the people He places along your path.

You may discover that what God is doing through you today is not only about changing your life but also about preparing you to change someone else's.

As Justin's testimony so beautifully demonstrates, the impact of a life surrendered to Christ can reach far beyond one generation.

You have a part to play in God's plan. Don't underestimate the significance of that part.

Scripture to Reflect On

Romans 8:28 (KJV)

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Questions for Personal Reflection

1. When you look back over your life, where can you recognize God's hand protecting, guiding, or providing for you?

2. Who has God placed in your life to encourage and mentor you?

3. Is there a promise or calling you may be limiting because you expect it to unfold a certain way?

4. Who might God be asking you to walk alongside in this season?

5. How can your everyday talents, experiences, or profession become an opportunity to share the love of Jesus?

Thank you, Justin Parish, for joining me on Faith Conversations and for sharing your heart, your family, and your powerful testimony of God's faithfulness.

Your story is a beautiful reminder that sometimes the greatest fulfillment of God's promises isn't what He does for us, but what He chooses to do through us.

With love and faith,

Sarah Rose
Host of Faith Conversations
Founder of Fearlessly Unshackled

Helping people encounter the transforming love of Jesus, break free from fear and lies, and become all God created them to be.

Connect with Fearlessly Unshackled:
www.sarahannrose.com

Watch Faith Conversations on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@Faith_Conversation