Life has a way of throwing storms at us when we least expect them. Sometimes those storms come as personal losses, health struggles, financial challenges, or broken relationships. For me, the hardest season of my life was losing my wife to cancer. It shook the very foundation of who I thought I was and forced me to face questions I never imagined asking. Through it all, the one thing that held me together was my faith.

Faith doesn’t take away pain, and it doesn’t guarantee that life will be easy. What it does is give us an anchor when the winds of life threaten to pull us under. I’ve walked through dark valleys, and I know what it’s like to wonder if you’ll ever see light again. But I’ve also experienced the power of trusting God in the middle of brokenness, and that has changed everything for me.

When the Bottom Falls Out

The day I lost my wife, my world collapsed. I had children to raise, responsibilities at work, and a heart that felt shattered into a million pieces. I’ll be honest—there were moments I didn’t feel like getting out of bed, let alone carrying on with life. My prayers during that time weren’t polished or eloquent. They were often just, “God, help me get through this day.”

Faith gave me permission to be real. It reminded me that I didn’t have to have it all together. God could handle my anger, my questions, and my tears. The Bible tells us He is close to the brokenhearted, and I learned firsthand just how true that is.

Leaning on Community

Faith is not meant to be lived out alone. In my darkest season, I leaned heavily on my church family and groups like The WARM Place, where others understood the pain of grief. Community reminded me that even though I felt isolated, I wasn’t alone.

There is something powerful about being surrounded by people who will pray with you, cry with you, and simply sit in silence when there are no words. My faith grew deeper as I experienced the body of Christ in action. Friends from church brought meals, cared for my children, and carried burdens I couldn’t lift by myself. That’s what faith in community looks like—people becoming the hands and feet of Jesus.

Choosing to Trust in Unanswered Questions

One of the hardest parts of faith is accepting that we may never get all the answers we want. I asked God “why” more times than I can count. Why did my wife have to suffer? Why did my kids have to grow up without their mother? Why was our story cut short?

The truth is, I never got the answers I wanted. What I did get was peace that didn’t make sense. Faith taught me that trust doesn’t mean understanding everything—it means believing God is good even when life is not. That kind of trust isn’t built overnight. It’s built one choice at a time, every day you decide to hold on rather than let go.

Serving as a Path to Healing

Another way faith carried me through was by opening doors to serve others. At first, I thought I had nothing to give. I was broken and exhausted. But slowly, God showed me that my pain could become a platform to help others.

I began volunteering at The WARM Place, the same grief support center that had helped my family. Later, I worked with Camp Sanguinity, serving kids with cancer and blood disorders. Eventually, I started Families with Holes, a foundation dedicated to walking with families through tragedy.

Faith reminded me that my story wasn’t over. By pouring into others, I found healing for myself. It’s the paradox of faith: when we serve out of our brokenness, we discover strength we didn’t know we had.

The Daily Practice of Faith

Faith isn’t just for the big storms. It’s something I practice every day. For me, that means spending time in prayer, reading Scripture, and surrounding myself with people who encourage me to live out my beliefs. It means staying committed to my church, to serving, and to seeking God’s direction in my health, my relationships, and my future.

There are still tough days. Grief doesn’t disappear, and challenges in life don’t stop coming. But faith gives me perspective. It reminds me that no season lasts forever, and that even in the hardest times, God is working for good.

A Word for the Struggling

If you’re in a season right now where life feels overwhelming, I want you to hear this: you don’t have to walk through it alone. Faith doesn’t mean you won’t feel pain, but it does mean you won’t be crushed by it. It means there is hope even when circumstances look hopeless.

Take it one day at a time. Pray the simple prayers. Lean on community. Allow yourself to be honest with God. And when you’re ready, look for ways to serve others, because often that’s where healing begins.

Closing Thoughts

I never would have chosen the storms I’ve faced. But I can say with confidence that faith has carried me through them and given me new purpose on the other side. Tough seasons will come for all of us. The question is not whether we will face them, but how we will walk through them.

For me, the answer has always been faith. And I believe it can be the answer for you too.