By Jodi Rosser
God's Brave Women - Jodi's Story
I will never forget that night, the night my heart was shattered into a thousand pieces. The night my life took an unexpected turn.
Honestly, I did not want to believe what I was hearing. The weight of his words was unbearable. Like a ton of bricks crashing over my body, his heavy words left me shocked and paralyzed. With tears streaming down my face, I ran upstairs to call my accountability partner to share the heartbreaking news. I knew I would not be able to handle this alone. I needed her help.
As the phone was dialing, I remembered our purposeful walks just months before. We were meeting weekly together to walk and pray healing over my marriage. At the time I was truly hopeful that God could heal us, but after hearing this news, I knew my marriage of 15 ½ years was over. When she answered the phone, I burst into tears.
I will never forget the night my hopes and dreams for my family were turned upside down. In my heart, I could not see how I was going to get through this. Lying awake in bed, all I could think about was my kids. Not only was my life going to completely change, but my kids’ lives would be forever changed too. The thought of them having to grow up in a divorced home deeply saddened me. I cried out to God, “How are we going to get through this? I don’t even know what to do.”
Have you ever felt like this? Are you facing some impossible circumstance and don’t know what to do? Does your life feel like it took an unexpected turn?
"There is something about being taken to a place of heartbreak where you have to choose either to run to God with your pain or run away from God in anger."
There is something about being taken to a place of heartbreak where you have to choose either to run to God with your pain or run away from God in anger. Alone and heartbroken, I chose to run to God with my pain, every day, every hour or minute if needed. This is what I wrote in my journal that next morning:
God, I truly want to grow from my pain. I don’t want it to break me. I want it to grow me and
help me draw closer to You. Only You can give me strength in this nightmare I am living. Only You can turn my tears into hope. I lay this at Your feet. Please take my pain and help me draw closer to You, Your power, Your strength, Your love, and Your comfort. Help me to teach my kids to do that too. Help me be an example to them and give me the strength for another day.
Little did I know how much these brave words would change my life.
Honestly, if you asked me years ago, I would not have described myself as brave. I thought bravery was for the heroes who swoop in and save the day. But after walking through this devastating loss, I have a new definition of bravery.
Bravery is trusting God when life does not make sense. It is leaning into God when your life circumstances are falling apart around you. Bravery is modeling this for your kids.
I am not going to tell you that life all of a sudden got easier after I wrote those brave words. I was still in the middle of a real storm, and the waves kept crashing and the winds kept blowing. I can tell you this: God is faithful. He did give me strength for that day, and He can do the same for you. As I met Him daily and cried out to Him each morning, He met me right where I was: heartbroken, hurting, and devastated.
"I can tell you this: God is faithful. He did give me strength for that day, and He can do the same for you. As I met Him daily and cried out to Him each morning, He met me right where I was: heartbroken, hurting, and devastated."
Are you walking through a heartbreak right now? Maybe you just received a call from your doctor, and you are devastated with the diagnosis. Perhaps, you are deeply hurting from the loss of a loved one.
I want to encourage you today to make a brave choice. Will you turn to God and run to Him in the middle of your pain? Will you surrender your heartbreak to Him?
I promise you that as you seek God in the middle of your heartbreak, He will give you comfort when you feel alone. He will give you power to get through each day. He will give you strength to help comfort your kids and loved ones. Are you ready to make the brave choice?
Bravery is inviting the God of the Universe to walk with you through your pain. It is focusing on His presence not your problems. Bravery is showing your kids that God alone is trustworthy.
"Bravery is inviting the God of the Universe to walk with you through your pain. It is focusing on His presence not your problems. Bravery is showing your kids that God alone is trustworthy."
I love the verse Psalms 34:18. “God is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” He is close to us in our heartbreak. Closeness shows God’s desire for intimacy. Closeness shows God’s loving character. Closeness shows God’s helping hand. This closeness begins with your brave choice to lean in. To open your hand and fully surrender all that is weighing you down to a God who can lift you up in ways you never knew possible.
Friend, I encourage you to make the brave choice today. I promise God is faithful and is waiting for you to run into His open arms!
Brave Woman Manifesto
Make sure to check back next week as another courageous Sister shares her story!
And by the way...
You are Brave!
No matter what you are facing, God has made you in His image, which means you are full of His strength and power. I would love to connect with you more and give you a FREE gift - the BRAVE WOMAN MANIFESTO: Five Things to Tell Yourself When Life Gets Hard. Click HERE to sign up for my monthly newsletter and you’ll receive the FREE Manifesto, as well as recent blog posts, updated resources and personal details delivered only to my lovely email tribe.
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About Jodi
Jodi Rosser is a writer and speaks to a steadily growing audience through her podcast, Depth, and her blog, Heartbreak to Strength. Having walked through multiple heartbreaks (divorce, miscarriage, and cancer), Jodi now inspires women to find hope, joy, and purpose through their unexpected storms. She lights up the most when she shares her testimony using her cracked clay pot, a visual reminder that God shines brightest through our broken places. She lives with her two teenage boys and giant black lab in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
You can connect with Jodi on her website: jodirosser.com as well as on Facebook and Instagram. To listen to her Depth Podcast, please click on the following link: https://link.chtbl.com/vZzTid7o