When Loss Opens Our Eyes to His Goodness
.jpg)
Sometimes life changes in ways we never expected. Something or someone we treasured, something we thought would always be part of our lives, is suddenly gone. And the loss can leave an ache that doesn’t simply disappear.
I’ve walked through one of those seasons. A season of deep sadness, disappointment, and learning what it really means to trust the Lord with everything I am.
Recently, as I was reading through the book of Job, I found myself thinking about all that he lost. His children, his possessions, his health, and so much of the life he had known. And yet, in the middle of his suffering, Job continued to wrestle with his pain before God.
It made me stop and consider my own heart.
My losses may look very different from Job’s, but the hurt has been real. And through it all, I am learning that I don’t have to understand everything God allows in order to trust Him.
I have made a choice that nothing and no one will take the place in my heart that belongs to the Lord. I want my trust, my hope, and my identity to be firmly rooted in Him.
And yet, the earthly hurt is still there.
But something beautiful has been happening in the midst of it.
This morning, as I rocked my little grandson, speaking Scripture over him and watching his tiny face, I began thinking about the extraordinary goodness of God.
Here I am, blessed with the privilege of spending my mornings holding this precious little boy while giving his mom and dad some much-needed rest.
Our home has been filled with family visiting from across the country, laughter around the table, and the sweetness of reconnecting with people I dearly love. Family lives right next door. Neighbors who were once strangers have become friends. There are people to love, opportunities to serve, and relationships that continue to grow.
And outside, autumn has arrived. The air is cooler, the house feels warmer and cozier, and the simple pleasures of this season seem especially sweet.
As I look around, I realize something.
God has not stopped pouring His goodness into my life just because something precious was taken away.
In fact, I am beginning to recognize blessings I might have overlooked had I remained focused only on what was missing.
This doesn’t mean the loss wasn’t real. It doesn’t mean the hurt has disappeared. And it certainly doesn’t mean that people or relationships are replaceable.
It simply means that God’s goodness is not limited to what I have lost.
He is still here.
Still comforting. Still providing. Still loving. Still surrounding me with reminders of His faithfulness.
And perhaps the greatest gift isn’t even all these beautiful blessings surrounding me.
The greatest gift is knowing Him.
Knowing that when everything around me changes, He remains the same.
I don’t want to become so busy enjoying His gifts that I forget the Giver. I don’t want a single day to pass without acknowledging His presence, thanking Him for His goodness, and recognizing the tender ways He cares for me.
I’m learning to hold the things of this earth with open hands while holding tightly to the One who will never leave me.
And I keep coming back to this thought:
I am not thanking God because everything in my life has turned out the way I hoped. I am thanking Him because, even when it hasn’t, He has never stopped being good.
My circumstances may change. People may come and go. Some prayers may be answered differently than I hoped. But the character of God never changes. And the more I come to know Him, the more I discover that He truly is enough.
This morning, with a sleeping baby in my arms, his hand on mine, and a grateful heart, I find myself saying:
Lord, thank You for what You have given. Thank You for what You are teaching me through what I’ve lost. Thank You for the blessings I can see and the ways You are working that I cannot.
But most of all, thank You for being You.
Because even if nothing else were added to my life, You would still be enough.
Christine