Theology of Suffering
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Drought Training
I love when God gives us real life pictures of how he often interacts with his children, training us in dependence and resilience. While there is not always a one-to-one correlation in every aspect, there are things we can glean from nature that remind us that we have a good Father, at work in our… Continue reading
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Wrestling with “Your Will Be Done” When the Outcome Is Not What We Hoped
There is a very real tension that comes within the Christian faith when we face times of loss and devastation. The strain comes for many believers on the road that travels from a head that knows what obedience is to a heart that feels deeply hurt by the outcome. We see the example of Christ;… Continue reading
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When Grief Becomes Identity
I had someone recently ask, “Do you think grief can become an idol?” My gut reaction was, “Yes, of course!” As Calvin stated, our hearts are idol factories. As I have chewed on this question over the last several days, I actually think the answer is much more layered. Long before grief becomes an idol,… Continue reading
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I Thought Healing Would Look Different
Had someone asked me 4 years ago, “how long do you think you could write about grief?” I imagine my answer would have been maybe for a year or two. I had no category for how long it takes to work through the layers of pain and loss. I had no concept of the difficult… Continue reading
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The Paradox of the Crucible
I had one of those afternoons recently where I was mindlessly scrolling. I was weary and worn, out of energy to engage people, and really just wanting to check out. As tends to happen in these times, I followed a rabbit hole and stumbled across a friend’s social media page; a friend from a lifetime… Continue reading
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Six Ways to Shepherd Our Children Through Pain
I have a son who survived an oftentimes fatal, catastrophic pediatric seizure disorder as a baby. The disorder caused brain damage, developmental disabilities, and he has struggled with seizures now for 16 years. After a particularly terrible seizure last week, one of his brothers sat in my room in tears. He was unable to sleep… Continue reading
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The Tension of Grief in Moments of Joy
Raising five boys, there was never a loss of brotherly competition or rivalry in our home. There was always an effort between the boys to show who was king for the day. When my kids were young, this dynamic was especially present during times when one of the boys had the opportunity to shine. When… Continue reading
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The Grief I Did Not Know
There are parts of grief I thought I understood yet now realize I did not know as much as I believed. Before losing my son, I understood cognitively that loss changes a person. How could it not? Having a masters in counseling, I even studied grief and its effect on people. I understood as much… Continue reading
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My Boast Today
My husband developed a migraine on Sunday afternoon. Despite multiple rounds of medication, sleep, and doing his best to treat it, the pain would not subside. He struggled through the night, still battling extreme pain Monday morning. When I awoke and saw the state he was in, I stopped and prayed for him, asking with… Continue reading
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The Breath of Comfort
I felt the heaviness of sorrow and grief once again this past weekend. I think I cried more in the last three days then I have cried in the last several months combined. The overwhelming ache of missing my son came rushing back. In some ways, I found myself feeling confused about why this was… Continue reading