✝️ The Faith That Holds When Life Falls Apart

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.” — Isaiah 43:2

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” — Hebrews 6:19

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🌅 When the Unthinkable Happens

Faith isn’t tested when life is easy; it’s tested when everything breaks apart.

When I lost my daddy in a farm accident at just eight years old, my world collapsed. In the years that followed, I thought I had endured the hardest thing a person could face—and that surely, God would protect our family from anything else so painful.

After all, He had seen our grief. I imagined He would say, “That’s enough.” Our worst trials had to be behind us.

Or so I thought.

💔 The Weight of Anxiety and Unexpected Pain

By the time I reached college, I found myself battling anxiety and depression, issues I didn’t see coming. There was no easy button to make it stop.

One summer, I stayed in my college town to work and ended up having a panic attack so intense it sent me to the emergency room. Eventually, I had to move home for the rest of the summer, unsure if I’d ever be able to go back.

Looking back, I can see it clearly. I was still grieving, carrying unhealed pain I hadn’t recognized. My heart was still afraid of the next "bad thing." I’d learned that bad things happen to good people, and I just kept waiting for the next storm to hit.

🕊️ Finding Strength in God’s Promises

It took time finding a counselor, exploring treatment, and learning to cope with anxiety, but through every dark moment, God never left my side.

His promise in Isaiah 43:2 has became a lifeline.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”

And even in the lowest valleys, He reminded me again through Isaiah 41:10.

“So do not fear, for I am with you… I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

God’s presence didn’t remove the pain, but He carried me through it.

🤍 Faith Rooted in Community and Care

Through every hardship and all of our grief, God surrounded our family with answers to prayer.

• A loving mother who listened, even when she was dealing with her own grief.

• Siblings and relatives who stayed close to us through the hardest years.

• A caring church family and a compassionate small-town community that showed up again and again for a widow with five children.

Those hands and hearts were part of God’s grace, evidence that His love truly holds us when life falls apart.

🌤️ Hope That Still Rises

I’ve faced many trials since childhood, many that still challenge my faith, but one truth remains unshaken: God’s love is stronger than my fear and anxiety. When the waters rise over my head, He reaches down as He did for Simon Peter and pulls me above the waves. I am safe.

✨ Look for my upcoming children’s picture book, And the Sun Came Up: A True Story of Grief and Hope, and its companion Hope Activity Journal, coming soon to Amazon. These books share more of my journey through grief and help you work through your own grief to God’s promises which bring light and hope again after loss.

I’m currently forming a Book Launch Team for my new book! If you join, you’ll receive a free Advance Reader Copy (ARC), access to behind-the-scenes videos, and chances to win prizes and giveaways. Stay tuned for the sign-up form—coming soon!

I pray that this book will remind families that even in the darkest nights, light still returns.

🙏 A Question for You

Where do you turn when suffering and grief come your way? To friends, to work, or to your faith in God?
Maybe this week, pause and let His promises remind you that you are not alone, and your story isn’t over.