The Quilting of Your Life

God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting

The Quilting of Your Life

Countdown to God’s Healing: BMH Books will release my fifth book in May. To read a sample section of God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting click here. To pre-order your autographed copy at 30% off, visit here. As we countdown to the release, I’ll be sharing periodic excerpts, such as today’s post: The Quilting of Your Life.

Living Between Two Realities

We began our grief and growth journey with present reality: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33).

We conclude with future reality: God “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

We live between these two worlds. We journey aware of both realities.

It bears repeating that our journey is not a straight line. We don’t move in an easy, linear direction from “stage” one to “stage” eight. Life is far too messy for that.

More than that, the human soul is far too complex for us to imagine that a “few easy steps” move us all the way from denial to worship. While we might try to quantify a “grief process,” the suffering soul can’t be computed, measured, or calculated.

Grief is never a nice, neat package. Finding hope when you’re hurting follows no outline. Whatever “process” there is, it is uniquely personal. And that process is more like two stages forward and one stage back. Perhaps even more realistically, you may find yourself in several stages at any one time.

In God’s Healing for Life’s Losses I’ve mapped out a “pattern” from my understanding of Scripture, my personal engagement with suffering, and my pastoral care and counseling with hurting spiritual friends. As you apply this pattern to your life, it becomes your own personal quilt, woven together day-by-day by you, and God’s people, and God’s Spirit.

Looking at any one section of your life quilt, you might only see seemingly random threads. The colors and contours may not seem to make any sense whatsoever. But because God’s Word is sufficient and relevant, you can be confident that through Christ you are weaving a beautiful tapestry.

Rest for Your Soul

I know how hard hopeful trust can be. I’ve suffered great losses, too. The ache at times has seemed unbearable, unmanageable. Hope has seemed unobtainable. Rest unimaginable. Healing impossible.

However, with God, all things are possible. That’s no cliché. That’s inspired truth. Hope is supernatural. Healing is possible. Knowing the rest of the story provides rest for the soul.

So, please, don’t give up. Keep facing life face-to-face with God.

Healing is coming. Hope is on the horizon.

New life is in the air. Resurrection power is at work.

Jesus is on the move. He’s speaking to you now. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

In Christ, find rest for your soul. Find healing for life’s losses. Find hope when you’re hurting.

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How are you finding rest for your soul in Christ?