Trusting God In Your Pain

I have a friend who goes up to her cabin and spends regular weekends with Jesus. She walks in the woods and watches deer dancing in her front yard. She spends hours in her Bible. And many more hours on her knees confessing sins. She sings hymns and praises to our King.

OK, I’ll admit it. The first time she told me about it, I thought she was a little weird.

Trusting God In Our Pain

The past few years my heart has faced sorrows that cut deep. There are no words to truly describe the pain that comes from those times of extreme grief.

So many things we face in our life can leave deep, dark wounds that truly can only be faced with the strength of our Savior. Like cancer, failed adoptions, infertility, car accidents, relationship losses, divorce and unexpected job loss, to name a few. This life is hard and chances are you’ve been juggling a few tough things lately.

How we cope in the hard times can often define whether we will struggle or thrive as we go navigate our hard seasons. It’s a choice we make, whether to lean on Jesus or step away from Him in our pain.

Maybe my friend who meets Jesus in the woods is on to something?

When you let Jesus fill up that deep, black, painful hole inside of you, beautiful things begin to happen.

When we lean on Jesus, he can take years of heartache and pain are replace them with tears of joy.

I believe that someday I will be reunited with my lost littles and we will dance and sing and praise our heavenly Father together. I firmly believe that someday this side of Heaven the three littles I thought would be part of my family forever will come knocking on my door.

Only God knows how these scenarios will truly play out in the future. But the good news is, He knows. 

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

Friend, this life is filled with really hard stuff. My mom committed suicide ten years ago and I’m finally just talking about it with the extended people in my life. I’ve held that hurt inside for so long and for so many reasons. But it’s time to find healing by bringing that darkness into the light.

There is so much freedom when you let Light into your darkness.

There is freedom when you let Light into your darkness. Share on X

What darkness are you holding onto today? It may be time to, as Elsa says, just “let it go!” Lay it down at the foot of the Cross.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

John 1:5

When your soul is battered and broken, don’t question whether it’s worth believing in goodness anymore, run to the woods. Meet Jesus there.

Let God shower you in His grace and fill you up with His love. Let Him brush away your tears. Trust that He has a plan and a purpose far greater than your human mind can possibly imagine. Even when it doesn’t make sense. Even when you are struggling to believe.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

When you are done meeting Jesus in the woods, like my wise friend, wipe away your salty tears and remember that you and the Lord will face your burdens together.

“The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.”

Psalm 34:19

{P.S. You don’t have to go to the woods to meet Jesus, He is with us wherever we go! Don’t get all theologically crazy on me. It’s a metaphor about spending time in prayer and in God’s Word, ya dig?}