There is a difference between healing and wellness, and I’m not referring to wellness as an avoidance of sickness. We can think of healing and wellness as related yet different options.

We often pray for healing. We want to escape whatever the diagnosis or ramifications are. I get it. Sometimes God shows up big and changes the outcome, redirects the path, delivers in amazing ways. God also shows up in the more drawn out, exhausting, disappointing processes. Sometimes the purpose of the process is not as much about escaping something as going through it, letting God use it, shape it, mold it, and transform it into something we never thought it could become. That process can help us become well.

Whatever we are facing might still have effects and ramifications that are difficult to face—some which last a lifetime or shorten our lifetime. We can be well while dealing with the consequences and effects of sickness. It’s difficult. Radical healing seems like the better option. I would choose it, too, if I had that power. But trusting God, who has the power, is always the best choice. Knowing he decides and has a much better perspective than we do can be unsettling to say the least, but when we know he is good, we find hope in the journey.

We get discouraged and confused by some of the details and moments. That doesn’t point to a lack of faith but simply a lack of understanding. We’re not going to grasp it all. We can hate what we and our loved ones are going through while embracing the goodness of God. We might hold the tension while knowing the restoration process is a complex journey.

I still pray for healing for many people I love, but I have learned to expand my prayers to include wellness. I want people to sense God’s presence and provision. I want them to connect with and commit to him with each step they take. I want each of us to withdraw the conditions we might project onto God with our comforts and expectations and let him abundantly give to us what he knows we will grow through.