Where did you see God?

In episode 157 , Donna Tashjian shares a story that helps us confront our struggle with trust.  After all, it's hard to trust when others have hurt you, or not shown up when you needed them; and it's hard to trust God when He didn't protect you from the hardship.  When Donna was 14, someone close to her family hurt her in such a way that she found herself a teenage mother, leaving h...

In episode 156 , Beth Thorp helps us know what it means to find meaning in the midst of our suffering.  Her family was thrust into hardship when a mystery illness struck her son Mitchell and upended their lives.  Their thoughts became filled with questions -- for doctors, for God -- that too often went unanswered.  Yet God heard them, and more than answers, He desired to reveal...

In episode 155 , Coach Jonathan McLernon invites us to embrace starting over again as an opportunity.  Starting over can feel daunting and unjust, and so many of us have found ourselves there despite our best efforts.  Jonathan takes us on a journey through an attempted murder, to a pursuit of weight-loss, to a costly betrayal, and how along the way he often found himself -- whether...

In episode 154 , my friend Angela Westmoreland's story presses us into an element of "rest" that is uncomfortable: what if our need for rest is so vital that God forces it?  It sounds unfair and controlling; but what if "forced rest" can actually be a profound display of God's love for us?  This is what Angela discovered: when a foot injury led to a difficult period of forced rest,...

In episode 153, Karis Meier's story challenges us to consider if we are accepting grace.  When an unexpected medical issued to life-long, serious health issues, it could be hard for Karis to know what God was doing and how to navigate the mounting hardships.  In the midst, however, God was inviting her at accept his grace; even more, Karis -- who's name means "grace" -- was being invited to accept...

In episode 152 , Darryl Rodgers helps us acknowledge a sentiment that can trip us up: "It shouldn't have been this way."  It could have been easy for him to say this, when after striving to be a good father he watched his son slip into a destructive addiction struggle that eventually cost him his life.  What makes this particularly hard is that sometimes we are right... it shouldn't...

In episode 151 , Tim Lodgen's powerful story allows us to go deeper into a topic we've only lightly addressed: suicide.  Suicide is difficult to discuss; it's a topic that carries deep emotions, difficult theology, and hefty stigmas.  However, not discussing it leaves the many who wrestle with suicidal thoughts feeling more alone.  The truth is, they aren't alone; these emotion...

In episode 150 , Steven Snook presses us to not miss out on the most powerful gift in the midst of suffering: the Spirit.  There is no shortage of valuable advice and resources for navigating suffering that aren't Christian-based; so if you can navigate suffering without God, what does God bring to the table?  Steven would tell you it's the power of the Holy Spirit, and we are missi...

In episode 149 , EksAyn Anderson shares a story that reveals what can seem a daunting reality; in the midst of our suffering, others are watching.  EksAyn had interactions with his mom as a kid that impact him to this day, and she never knew the depth of impact.  When we are in hardship, we can already feel like we have no capacity, and the thought of having to navigate well for the...

In episode 148 , Johnathan Drayton presses us to consider how we are understanding and engaging the Word in the midst of our suffering.  Too often, we will utilize the Word for platitudes or fixes, but what if God actually intends abundantly more than we could ask or imagine?  If you enjoy this conversation, check out the conversation Johnathan and I had on his podcast, "The Truth o...

In episode 147 , Laura Diehl invites us to press into the concept of "hope".  If hope is "a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen", that means that anytime we have an expectation or desire, we are hoping for something; in other words, rather than wondering if we have hope, perhaps we should ask "what am I hoping for ?"  After all, what we hope for will dete...

In episode 146 , Nicky Billou helps us explore the concept of oppressive spaces leading to suffering.  As a child, Nicky's father recognized that remaining in Iran could become dangerous for their family, so he worked to move his family out before things got worse.  Though he was saved from that oppressive space, Nicky discovered that hardship remained ahead, whether it was acclimat...

In episode 145 , Benjamin Bell helps us confront how we limit God's ability.  Sometimes our suffering is heavier because we question what God can do; sometimes in our spiritual maturity we know God can do things, but we decide precisely what those things should be.  The real invitation is to simply affirm that "God can", and leave the details to Him.  Benjamin did this when he...

In episode 144 , Kim Sorrelle shares the wild invitation God gave her when she was sitting in suffering: to commit over a year exploring what "love is" by engaging the "is" and "isn't" phrases in 1 Corinthians 13 one month at a time.  Let's be honest: we may acknowledge that "God is love", but do we really know what "love is"?  Afterall, aren't we quick to question His love when thi...

In episode 143 , Michael Scholtes invites us to confront what we think disqualifies us, that God may actually intend to use for abundantly more than we could ask or imagine.  Michael has struggled with depression throughout his life and is keenly aware of how that could seem like a disqualification to being a pastor.  Not only has it not disqualified him, but in a beautiful moment o...

In episode 142 , Kent Stoneking shares his journey of navigating diabetes and the threat of amputation, pressing us to consider how we respond to the decision-points in the midst of suffering.  Those moments can be stressful, frustrating, or crippling, and can seem to deepen our suffering; what if they actually create an opportunity to follow Christ?  How do we do so when it seems l...

In episode 141 , Phil Thompson helps us acknowledge a difficult reality: sometimes our suffering is a result of our nearsightedness (or even the nearsightedness of others.)  Spiritual myopia -- our tendency to focus hard on the present and leave the eternal a blur -- is something we're all prone to struggle with, but God desires us to have "eyes to see"... if we're willing. When have you...

In episode 140 , Annette Spurr hits us with a tough one: sometimes the breakthrough we're longing for is realizing there is no breakthrough.  It's tough because in our heaviest moments, we long for breakthrough; interestingly, God longs for it as well, but what He is after is abundantly more than our best breakthrough ideas.  How can we learn to release OUR breakthrough as a step of...

In episode 139 , Alicia Luca Dean's story invites us to consider how our boundaries can be opportunities to "love God and love others".  She made the hard call to walk away from a toxic relationship with her parents, and through that learned the healing God can bring when we trust him in the midst.  If you are navigating childhood trauma or toxic relationships, or simply want to dis...

In episode 138 , Jacqui Wilson's story forces us to confront the reality that we often view our situations -- and other people -- in broad sweeps.  Jacqui has learned from her roles as an attorney and Children's Minister that without the nuances, we may not see others as "made in the image of God", and may actually miss God at work.  What if God is inviting us to see our situations...

In episode 137 , Sue Corl invites us to see beyond our story, to the stories God is writing amidst ours.  Her's is a powerful journey itself; due to medical issues at birth, she endured dozens of surgeries throughout her youth, traumatic bullying, and challenges within her home.  However, God was in her midst, and used her story to plant seeds around the world.  Yet God wanted...

In episode 136 , Scott Schara helps us process what discernment looks like in the midst of suffering.  It's often said "hindsight is 20/20", and what we can discern in retrospect is too often mired in confusion when we are sitting in suffering.  Scott has navigated this as he's processed the death of his daughter during a hospital stay.  The more he has looked into her hospital...

In episode 135 , Pastor Corey Widmer invites us to do something we aren't interested in by default: suffering well.  That's because we don't want to suffer at all.  Interestingly, I intended this to be the finale of the "Sitting in Suffering" series, but God had other plans; throughout this season we've heard not just stories of suffering, but moments when guests "suffered well", so...

In episode 134 , we experience a special episode with multiple guests!  I set up my mic during a unique event called "The Gallery", hosted by East End Fellowship, which invited the congregation to share their creative gifts with the entire spiritual family.  In fact, that was the theme: spiritual family.  John (a previous guest), Adrianna, Kenya, and Shawn join me at the mic to...

In episode 133 , Dorsey Ross shares how he will not let his circumstances lead him to limit God.  Born with Apert's Syndrome, Dorsey has known what it has meant to be both limited and have others assume limitations for you.  He also knows Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  Dorsey's story reminds us both of our tendency to limit God in th...