Brave to Keep Living After Loss

Do you wonder how to be brave to keep living after loss?

Here is a sneak peek of my guest post for the Brave Women Series at BeckyBeresford.com where I share my story of how I found the courage and faith to live the life I didn’t want.

Remember to pin me for later!

Brave to Keep Living After Loss

Friend, are you facing a life-altering loss today? Or perhaps it is not just one enormous loss, but a myriad of losses that have cumulated over time like a snowball?

Like every human being who has lived at least a couple of decades on this earth, I have experienced many losses. But nothing has prepared me for the tragic loss that came upon me like a hurricane about three years ago.

With one sweep, I lost my beloved husband, my family, my home, and the blissful way of living in the beautiful country of Austria. It seemed that everything that I held precious was cut down with one mighty blow and removed from me.

I felt like Job, stripped down, thrown in the mud, with no future I could envisage. I couldn’t understand why God acted this way in my life. His actions seemed cruel and unfair. Losing my trust in Him was actually the most dangerous loss I could experience.

Courage for the New Life I Didn’t Want

The death of my husband brought death into my heart, too. I simply didn’t want to live in a world in which he was not present. I didn’t see any point to keep going. Life just stopped for me, split into before and after.

I was at my weakest possible and didn’t have any strength or courage to keep living this new life as a childless widow. A life I didn’t like and didn’t want.

But God.

He carried me like an eagle every single day and minute in the loving and powerful embrace of His invisible arms.

Read the rest of the story in the Brave Women Series to find out how God gave me the strength and courage to move forward.

Having faith after loss means we keep living, and not just existing, supported and carried by God's power and love. #loss #faith #encouragement #hope Share on X

A Helpful Resource to Comfort You in Your Losses

In this “Book of Comforts” you’ll find comfort when you struggle with unmet expectations, disillusionment in faith, when you are in a season of pain, when your hope diminishes, when life gets hard, and much more. Reflection questions and a guided prayer follow each devotion.

More Encouragement for You

If you need more resources, encouragement, and comfort in handling your losses and grief and moving forward, I can highly recommend these books. Check them out.

Draw Near: How Painful Experiences Become the Birthplace of Blessings by Hadassah Treu

Life Changing Stories compiled by Mary Armand (You can read one of my stories here too!)

Life Can Be Good Again by Lisa Appelo

It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lisa Terkeurst

Hope When Life Unravels: Finding God When It Hurts by Adam Dooley

Restoration Year – a 365 Days Devotional by John Eldredge

The Deepest Place: Suffering and the Formation of Hope by Curt Thompson

Soul Cry: Devotional Prayers for Wounded, Grieving and Suffering Hearts by Gary Roe

The Grief Guidebook: Common Questions, Compassionate Answers, Practical Suggestions by Gary Roe

A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss by Jerry L. Sittser

A Grace Revealed: How God Redeems the Story of Your Life by Jerry L. Sittser

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Your Turn

Are you trying to find the courage to keep living after a life-altering loss? Share in the comments and on social media if you found this article helpful. Thank you!

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Here is my story of finding the courage and strength to keep living after a life-altering loss. #loss #faith #inspirational #encouragement #testimony Share on X

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