We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. — Romans 8:28 ESV In 2015, the New York Times ran an article called “Googling for God.”1 In this article, author Seth Stephens-Davidowitz started by saying, “It has been a bad…
How Is Forgiveness Even Possible When I Feel Like This
Editor’s note: This year has been hard on all of us, hasn’t it? 2020’s losses have been big, our emotions have been big, and relationships have taken big hits. Forgiveness sometimes seems impossible. Cruel even. Lysa TerKeurst understands as she has gone through personal crises in the last few years beyond the breaking point and…
What Makes Rejection So Awful?
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness. — John 12:46 My mouth was dry. My hands a bit numb. There was a stabbing tightness in my chest. My mind blurred as my thoughts became a fragmented kaleidoscope of a million pictured…
Forgiving God
Getting hurt by people is hard. Getting hurt by what God allows can feel unbearable. While I might phrase my disillusionment as a question of why or how, when I lay my head on my tear-soaked pillow, questions can turn into bitter feelings. I probably wouldn’t want to raise my hand at Bible study and…
What Am I Supposed to Do With All the Hurt
WELCOME! (SUGGESTED TIME: 2–5 MINUTES) Welcome to session 1 of Forgiving What You Can’t Forget. If this is your first time together as a group, take a moment to introduce yourselves to one another before watching the video. Then let’s get started! OPENING REFLECTION: (SUGGESTED TIME: 10–15 MINUTES) Leader Note: Have a few people share…
What Holds the Key to Your Heart?
When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow Me.” — Luke 18:22 I long to be a woman who follows hard after Jesus. And I’m not talking about a plastic-Christian life,…
It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Dust
I grabbed my chest while tears slipped down my cheeks in an unending stream. The pain in my heart wasn’t physical. But the stabbing emotional hurt was so intense I could hardly breathe. My hands were shaking. My eyes were wide with fear. My mouth felt paralyzed. My life had gone from feeling full and…
Where Is My Happily Ever After?
Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. — Matthew 6:33-34 I feel the most unsettled when I’m uncertain about the future. I suspect many…
Hurt: But How Do I Get Through the Next 86,400 Seconds?
The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. — 1 Peter 5:10 I want healing to be as neat and predictable as a checklist. I don’t want to be inconvenienced by…
Saved by Suffering
The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. — Psalm 145:18 I woke up on what I thought would be an ordinary Monday a few summers ago, but nothing was normal. I felt as if knives were mercilessly carving their way through my insides.…