Where is God when we suffer? Where is the abundant life promised to us? What does Scripture have to say about grief?

In this episode, Heather Lobe Johnson is joined by Kristin Vanderlip to discuss how pain is addressed in the Bible, and how God meets us in our suffering. Through Kristin’s own story of unexpected loss, she came to see hope in a real, lasting way. She also found a surprising connection to a certain Bible story that may apply to you, too.

Show highlights:

• 2:30- Kristin’s story of how unexpected loss (of both her child and her father within a few months) changed her life and her faith
• 13:30- How pain forces us to look at Scripture in a different light
• 20:02- On persevering through hard times and cultivating real hope
• 21:45- How the book of Job in the Bible can apply to our lives today
• 29:15 “In the final chapter we see redemption for what Job has lost. But if you look at the whole book, its such a beautiful revealing of what suffering is and who God is.”
• 32:14 Kristin gives practical tips for how to get through suffering on a more day-to-day basis (prayers, journaling, counseling, movement, gratitude lists, having a mentor); Heather shares her list too (writing, community, therapy, taking things moment by moment instead of worrying about the far-ahead future)
• 46:58 The transformative power of journaling/writing to move through our grief

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Romans 5:3-5
• James 1:1-4
• The book of Job
• Emily P. Freeman’s podcast and book, The Next Right Thing
• The Power of Writing Down, by Allison Fallon
• Kristin Vanderlip’s Life Worth Living Journal
• KristinVanderlip.com (and free journal page when you subscribe to her email newsletter, The Restorative Pause)
• Connect with Kristin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinvanderlip/
• Connect with Heather on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherlobejohnson/

*Some of the resources listed here include affiliate links, to help support the production of this show.