Finding God in Hard Times: How Grace and Faith Carry Us Through Disaster
Let me ask you something. Have you ever lived a day where the rug was pulled from under you and in a matter of moments, everything changed? Maybe you know exactly what I’m talking about, or maybe you wonder how you’d ever stand if something that unthinkable hit your family. In our recent podcast, I sat with my friend Tiffany, who lived through one of those days. Her family’s brand new house, barely settled into, was gone by nightfall. Ashes in the place where dreams once lived, Christian support in crisis matters. And yet, what stuck with me even more than the loss was how clearly you could see God’s grace in the wreckage. Finding God in hard times is not just a line we say—Finding Faith After Loss. It’s something we experience when life throws curveballs we never saw coming.
How Do You Even Begin Finding God in Hard Times?
Can I be honest? When disaster shows up at your door, our first instinct isn’t always spiritual. It’s survival, it’s confusion, and for a while, it’s just putting one foot in front of the other. In Tiffany’s story, what should’ve been a quiet Monday erupted into chaos, alarms, smoke, neighbors running, kids in pajamas—I'm picturing every detail as she described it, and it highlights how Building authentic Christian community can support people through adversity. There was no time to prepare. No handbook for the moments when everything familiar goes up in flames. Yet right there, in the middle of it all, you could still catch signs of God moving.
So many of us wrestle with this question. Where is God when it feels like everything good is slipping through our fingers? The focus isn’t just about feeling better after crisis; biblical lessons from Job and Joseph can help us find purpose. It’s about finding God in hard times when none of our everyday routines make sense anymore. For Tiffany and her family, it started with gratitude that every person made it out safely. Was it perfect? No. But as Tiffany shared, the fact that something so tragic could happen and still leave all their lives intact—that was grace, plain and simple, gratitude practices for healing.
What About the Shock and the Mess?
You see, trauma isn’t just the event, but what settles in after. The blank spaces where stability used to be. It’s nights spent wondering if ‘normal’ will ever come back. And if you’re like me, hearing stories like Tiffany’s, you notice how fast community becomes the hands and feet of Jesus when hard times come. I remember Tiffany saying how neighbors showed up in ways you just don’t expect. Extra uniforms for school, a packed pantry, beds made ready in a temporary house, people even making sure there were Christmas trees already set up for her kids. Every one of those moments was like God giving a practical answer to a whispered prayer: ‘Help us, Lord. Please just help us get through this.’
Why Finding God in Hard Times Changes Everything
Sometimes I wonder, how do we put one foot in front of the other after the ground drops out? In the podcast, Tiffany shared honestly. There was loss, there was frustration. Sure, there was even confusion—why did this happen, God? But the emotion that returned, over and over, wasn’t bitterness. It was humility and gratitude for every loving act that poured in from all sides. Those are the moments when finding God in hard times stops being a cliché and becomes real faith, right in the living room. Or what’s left of it.
I’m reminded of the way her kids reacted, each one a little differently. Her two-year-old, too small to understand, just assumed Daddy could fix it. And isn’t that how we come to God sometimes? Like children, broken by what’s lost, still hoping that our Father can somehow make it right. In those nights after the fire, Tiffany described feeling unsteady, not safe even in her own parents’ home. That’s a feeling some of you know too well. Safety gone, trust shaken. But even in that, the grace was present. Friends, family, community stepping up. Taking care of details only God would think to cover—like fresh contacts when you can’t see past the tears.
Truth from God’s Word
Here’s where I hang my hope. Philippians 3:8-10, CSB says, ‘More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him, I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.’ These were verses Tiffany and her family clung to. They literally hung them on the wall when they rebuilt—the same wall where they could look, remember, and remind themselves that knowing Jesus is worth more than any house or possession. Finding God in hard times is about knowing that even when all else goes, He remains.
What Faith and Recovery Can Actually Look Like for Us
You see, most of us hope to avoid suffering. I certainly would prefer to skip storms and stick to happy days. But the truth is, none of us get to skip the fires. That’s why it matters what we do in the middle of those disasters. Tiffany said something that stuck with me—she wouldn’t trade what happened, not because she enjoyed it, but because in the suffering, she shared in the sufferings of Jesus. There’s a closeness to Christ you just don’t get on easy street. I know this sounds strange, but I think when you let yourself look for evidence of God’s presence, you start finding God in hard times in places you never expected. In the help of a neighbor. In the prayer that finally feels real. In being held up by faith when you can’t hold yourself up anymore.
Small Acts, Big Grace
Let’s be honest. Most of us think grace shows up loudly—miracles, flashy rescue stories, big reversals. But so often, grace looks like laundry baskets delivered by a friend, or a stranger showing up to pack your pantry, or even someone remembering your child’s lost Bible and bringing over a replacement. All those little things add up to a story about God’s faithfulness. Finding God in hard times becomes possible when you see Him using your community, using small kindnesses, using people’s willingness to just sit with you and say, ‘I’m here. You’re not alone.’
Practical Ways to Start Finding God in Hard Times
I know you might be wondering. What do you actually do in the middle of the disappointment? How do you begin finding God in hard times when it feels like you’ve run out of strength? Can I share a few things we saw in Tiffany’s story, and honestly, in so many stories from our podcast and this community?
1. Let Others Love You
- Say yes when people offer to help (meals, laundry, rides, childcare)
- Text a friend or neighbor when you cannot handle it alone
- Remember, letting others in is part of how God shows up
2. Look for God’s Fingerprints
- Keep track of daily graces, even small ones
- Remind yourself (or your kids) of what God has brought you through before
- Ask, 'How did God provide today, even in small ways?'
3. Give Yourself Room to Grieve and Heal
- Let emotions come - sadness, gratitude, even confusion
- Be patient with your own process and your family’s pace
- Trust that God can handle our questions and our feelings
4. Cling to Scripture When Nothing Else Feels Secure
- Write out a verse and put it where you see it every day
- Pray honestly about the mess, not just the solutions
- Let the truth of who God is shape how you see your situation
What If You’re Still in the Middle of Your Hard Time?
Maybe you’re reading this and your disaster isn’t behind you yet. Maybe you haven’t seen a single glimmer of hope. Here’s what I want you to hear, friend. God isn’t waiting for your life to be picture-perfect before He meets you there. Finding God in hard times means believing He’s holding you, right now—before you have all the answers, while the smoke still lingers, even when you feel like strength and faith have both run out. You haven’t missed your miracle. And your story isn’t over just because you’re still waiting for the ending you dreamed of.
If you want to take one simple step, start by asking this question: 'Lord, what do You want me to learn in this?' Or, 'How can I see You today, even if it’s just in one small way?' Sometimes He will answer with clarity. Other times, you may still be waiting. But you can count on this—He is always present. Sometimes He shows up in the faces of friends, sometimes in the stillness, sometimes in a verse that comes just when you need it. But He is there.
Finding God in Hard Times Builds Community and Strength We Never Expected
I keep thinking about how Tiffany’s friends and community made sure her family didn’t face disaster alone. That is something we all need. None of us is meant to walk through suffering solo. Whether it’s a house fire, a job loss, an illness, or just the slow ache of dreams delayed, what makes all of it bearable is finding God in hard times together. I’ve seen it time and again—our community gathers round, serving meals, sending texts, praying, holding space. Every story I’ve shared on this blog, every honest conversation we’ve had on the podcast, it all points back to this: God is present, and His people carry His grace into every disaster.
Can I encourage you? If someone you know is struggling, even if you aren’t sure what to do, show up. Listen. Bring what you can. Sometimes your simple act of care is how someone else finds God in their hard times. And if you’re the one in the fire today, let your people be part of your healing. Let’s keep showing up for each other. Let’s be the story of God’s grace for someone else, too.
Final Thoughts: Hope That Rises from the Ashes
Maybe today you don’t get all the why’s. Me either, friend. Tiffany said it well, sometimes we never know the reason on this side of heaven. Like Job, maybe you never get the background story, but you can trust God is in it with you. And like Joseph, sometimes the reason comes later—maybe even blessing someone else through what you’ve endured. Finding God in hard times isn’t just possible, it’s what our faith was made for.
I hope you’ll listen to the full episode for even more encouragement. There are so many details, moments, and truths we could never fit on a page. For more stories like this, check out other posts on Perspectives Into Practice and connect with our community. We’re in this together, friend. Let’s keep looking for grace, even in the ashes.
