Living in a Car, Searching for Peace

Are you the kind of person who needs to see something to believe it’s true? If we’re being honest, most of us are. We like our facts and evidence, and we’re much more comfortable believing something once we’ve seen or experienced it firsthand.

But our faith in God asks for the opposite. We’re called to trust—blindly, sometimes—that He exists, that He is good, and that He’s working everything out for our benefit. That kind of trust can feel downright uncomfortable, especially when life starts pressing in on us.

Humans have always wrestled with how much faith they can really hold onto. And interestingly, it’s when life squeezes hardest that we often turn to God—because, honestly, where else can we go? Like a juicer, pressure reveals what’s inside us. And what comes out can be... enlightening. The quality of our “life juice” reflects the quality of our faith.

I know I tend to drift when I feel like I don’t “need” God—like a kid who knows their parent is there but doesn’t bother to check in. Then, when things get bumpy, I find myself making more time to pray.

But God is always trying to draw us back. He wants our attention not just on the bad days, but every day.

The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?”
—Numbers 14:11

Doubt is a powerful force. It can knock us off the path God intended pretty fast. It separates us from Him.

You’ve probably heard the story of Thomas, the disciple who refused to believe in Jesus’ resurrection until he saw the nail holes for himself. Fortunately for Thomas, Jesus revealed Himself to him.

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
—John 20:29

Not long ago, I had a conversation with someone I’d definitely describe as a modern-day “Doubting Thomas.” They were going through a major life shift—and not a small one. This person had decided to walk away from everything. They sold all their belongings, kept only their car, and set it up to live in full-time. A bed, coolers, Planet Fitness membership for showers—just enough to get by.

I’ll admit, there’s a part of me that admires that kind of boldness—to let go of everything and embrace simplicity. It even reminded me of when Jesus told the rich young man:

“One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
—Mark 10:21

But here’s the thing: that young man walked away. Jesus saw that his heart lacked the virtue of charity—he wasn’t ready to surrender for the right reasons. There’s no shortcut to holiness. Following Jesus requires willingness, not just sacrifice.

This person told me their goal was a life with minimal responsibility. After working hard for years, they just wanted peace. A simple life. More freedom. Enough income to get by. After a few months of living in the car, they felt they’d found a kind of balance.

But as I listened—between stories of broken relationships, hardship, and chaos—I couldn’t help but wonder: Was there any faith in this decision? Any prayer at all?

So, I asked.

“Thanks for sharing all that. It sounds like this was a big decision for you. But… where was your faith in all of this? Do you have any?”

Their eyes bulged: “FAITH? Did YOU ask if I had FAITH?”

At that moment, I had no clue where this conversation was going. But I felt I was in it for God, so I stayed the course.

“Yes,” I said. “Faith. Did you pray about your situation?”

They laughed. “You think I believe in some magical person in the sky? That’s for weak people. I’m an atheist. No one is coming to save me.”

Then they looked down on me and said “So… you’re telling me you actually believe in God? There’s no scientific evidence He even exists.”

Feeling like I needed to say something, I replied, “You’re free to believe what you want, just as I’m free to believe what I do. All I know is that before I reconnected with God and Jesus, my life looked one way—and ever since, it’s been steadily improving, little by little.”

They interrupted: “Jesus is just a person. Not God. Muslims don’t even believe He was divine. Whoever believes that clearly hasn’t done the research.”

I said, “I don’t need evidence to believe. I’ve had personal experiences that have proven it to me.”

“Oh yeah?” they shot back. “Tell me about THIS experience…”

So, I began, “I’ve had several moments where I’ve heard from God, and He redirected my life in ways I could never have done on my own.”

“Hearing from God? That’s just you. You’re hearing your own thoughts.”

And then came the kicker:
“I feel sorry for you. You don’t get it. You’re putting your faith in a person. That’s the whole problem with religion.”

I responded, “I disagree. Jesus is the only documented person to have died and resurrected.”

“Documented? Ha. Scientifically not proven.”

I asked, “Have you ever read the Bible?”

“Parts. Not the whole thing. Have you?”

“Yes, I have. And while I wasn’t reading it for science, I found that it touches on every human experience—pain, joy, betrayal, forgiveness. Everything you mentioned about your struggles? It’s all there.”

The conversation didn’t get much better after that. But I kept listening, and I think that’s what this person really wanted—someone to hear them. Their life was full of complaints and blame, but everything was going “great.” I wasn’t so sure.

The whole time, Proverbs kept coming to mind:

“Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.” —Proverbs 12:16

“The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves, but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.” —Proverbs 12:23

There’s a saying: “Everywhere you go, there you are.” You can change your location, your stuff, even your name. But if you haven’t dealt with what’s inside of you, the same people and problems will keep showing up.

And without faith, life can feel really lonely. There’s no hope—unless you get lucky. Most of the time, in my opinion, luck is often just God in disguise.

God is merciful. He blesses believers and non-believers alike.

Jesus may ask us to give things up to follow Him—but not to give up life for the sake of self-pleasure. This person’s goal was reduced responsibility, not spiritual growth.

If any atheists happen to read this—yes, I acknowledge there’s no “scientific proof” of God’s existence (at least not according to Google). But I did find one possible connection to something that is mentioned in this verse of the crucifixion:

“At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two... The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open.”
—Matthew 27:51–52

In 2012, the International Geology Review published a report of seismic activity near Jerusalem between 26–35 AD that was large enough to be an earthquake. So, maybe that’s one point for the believers.

At the end of our conversation, I told this person, “No matter what happens, I’ll be okay—because I believe.”

My job isn’t to prove Scripture. It’s to pursue Jesus and grow into the person I was meant to be.

This exchange gave me perspective—and reminded me that I have a lot of growing to do when it comes to defending my faith. But I have all the proof I need. I’ve seen God move. I’ve felt His presence. I know what it’s like when He’s gone ahead of me.

And given my own brush with near-homelessness, I have deep respect for people in hard situations—chosen or not. But faith shaped how I responded. That’s why my path and this person’s path look so different.

God rewards the faithful. I try to live every day trusting that when I put Him first, everything else falls into place. It brings peace—and opens the door for miracles.

We say “seeing is believing,” but when it comes to God, it’s the other way around. You believe first. Then the real seeing begins.