Unfinished – God’s Work on the Canvas of My Life

Grief is not a chapter easily closed; it is a journey that reshapes everything. When David went home to the Lord, it felt as though the world around me turned to ashes—dreams, plans, memories, and future expectations suddenly scattered like dust. I wondered how something so sacred could disappear so painfully, and how I might continue breathing while carrying such heaviness.

But God has a way of stepping into ashes and speaking resurrection.

Isaiah 61:3 says that He gives:
“…beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”
Beauty does not replace ashes—it rises from them.

In the weeks after David’s passing, grief rearranged every part of my life. Simple tasks felt overwhelming. Silence felt suffocating. Loneliness crept in like an uninvited guest. Yet, it was in those places where I encountered God in a new, intimate way. Not as the God of miracles or victories, but as the God who sits beside the brokenhearted.

I began to see beauty in unexpected places:

In the quiet comfort of God’s presence

In the strength I didn’t know I had

In the faces of my children and grandchildren

In the testimonies of lives touched through our journey

In the ministry God continues to birth through my pain

Grief taught me compassion. It softened my heart for others who suffer silently. It awakened a deeper purpose inside me—a calling to use my story not as a monument of sorrow but as a message of hope.

2 Corinthians 1:4 says,
“He comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

God never wastes pain. He transforms it.

At times, I still cry. At times, the weight still surprises me. But every tear is a seed, and every valley becomes a place where resurrection begins. I am watching God rebuild my life—not the same as before, but stronger, wiser, and more surrendered.

Beauty from ashes is not a single event.
It is a journey of restoration.
It is waking up one day and realizing hope has returned.
It is believing that though the night was long, the morning has come.

My story is living proof that what feels like an ending can become a new beginning when placed in God’s hands. The grave is never God’s final word.

🕊 Reflection Questions

Where do you need God to bring beauty from ashes in your life?

What signs of resurrection have you already begun to see?

How can your pain become a ministry to others?

🙏 Prayer

Jesus, thank You for turning graves into gardens and sorrow into songs. Heal the broken pieces of my heart and use them for Your glory. Let Your resurrection power restore hope, renew purpose, and reveal beauty rising from ashes. I trust You with my story. Amen.

——————————-