The words, God ruined my life too, has been stuck in my head and heart for two weeks.

My youngest daughter is a big youtube fan.  She even has her own youtube channel where I rarely post her videos.  I need to be a better mom in that area of supporting her entrepreneur spirit.  However, I monitor her viewing activity regularly.  I know what she’s watching (most of the time).  Myfroggystuff is her absolute fave!  I also have it set up so if she makes a comment on a video and someone responds I receive an email.

As I was catching up on emails, I noticed a comment.  I research and double check the activity.  As I was reading the string of comments on this video someone asked the question, do you believe in God?  After the question, I saw a sundry of different responses.  And then I found this response, “God ruined my life so :'(.”

And immediately following this statement, I see my sweet Krisann’s response.  It made me a proud mama, but it made my heart sad as well.

Krisann responds,

“He ruined my life too, but I still believe in him so much.”

I have pondered this statement almost non-stop since reading this.  I wonder how many people have felt like God ruined their life?  How many people have had a crisis of belief and walked away from God because bad things happened?  I remember a night that I came to a crisis of belief.  Recently, I wrote about that night for Faith Beyond Fear.  I’m so thankful I didn’t walk away from my faith that night.

About a week ago, I was praying with Krisann, and she was begging God for something huge.  I remember one other time that I heard her pleading like this.   I knew her heart’s cry was not going to happen short of a miracle.  About the time I thought I couldn’t hear her plead any longer, she said, “I doubt you’re going to do that God.”  Then she took a deep breath and said, “But God you’re still God, and you know things we don’t know.”

Right there, friends, in the middle of a routine nightly prayer, you find a glimpse of faith and struggles!

God uses this child to teach me often and grow my faith.

There has been wrestling in all our hearts lately.  Hurt and confusion stirs the emotions in our hearts at times and has affected each one of us differently.  However, not one person in my house has been jumping up and down with joy.  I think we all tend to join Krisann’s thinking of God, you have ruined our lives…again.  However, most of the time, that thought is fleeting.  My heart often feels uncertain, but my thoughts remain centered on what God is doing through the pain. [bctt tweet=”Uncertainty comes when I can’t see the end results, but learning how to respond in the middle of uncertainty is essential for centering my thoughts on God.” username=”kksmith8694″]

The question Krisann answered, the question I explained in my story, is a question we are answering yet again.  In the midst of feeling like God has ruined our life, what next?  In the middle of feeling like life is in ruins, what can you do?

3 Things To Do When Life Feels Ruined

Embrace Broken.

I define broken as extremely discouraged, unhappy, or an overall feeling of sadness and confusion.  Scripture often calls it an anguished heart.

Understanding “brokenness is beautiful” is of utmost importance.  Even Scripture says God is near the broken-hearted.  How beautiful is that picture?  I have learned I would rather embrace broken, let God scoop out the muck, and create His beauty.  All too often we want to get on with life.  What can we do to fix this broken?  God calls us to embrace broken.  (I don’t get credit for the phrase scoop out the muck!  A friend of mine uses this phrase and I have adopted it!)

Choosing to walk in brokenness is not a popular decision.  But friends, here I sit, three years later, understanding that my brokenness is changing into beauty.  Three years I have been willing to embrace my brokenness.  Today, I see beauty.  I see God working and orchestrating things in my life that is such a blessing to myself and others that I could have missed out on what He is doing by trying to create my own healing.  Trust me I have attempted to create my own healing at times because I’ve been tired and worn down and wanted life differently.  But, oh, how much sweeter the experiences God has brought in my life have been compared to what I may have manufactured on my own.  I did nothing but go about my life, and as I was going about my life, God drops moments of healing and beauty right in the middle of everyday life.

When it feels like life is in ruins, embrace broken.  Don’t try to fix it.  Don’t try to move on.  Sit with it.  Embrace it.  How long do we sit in broken?  Until God brings beauty!  Three years, three months, three weeks, who knows?  What I do know, He always brings beauty out of brokenness to those who are open to His healing and His leading!

Declare His Promises.

Even when they don’t always feel true, declare His promises.  When it feels like life is in ruins, declare His promises.  Ask God to give you a Scripture that you can hold as truth in your ruined life.  Post it where you can see it.  Read it over and over and over.  Say it out loud. Whisper it in your heart.  Declare it, friend.  As you declare it, ask God to help you believe it and feel it!

For those that say, I’m so broken I can’t even declare His promises anymore, that is okay too!  I’ve been there.  It’s at this moment we need others to declare His promises for us!  Sisters, let’s continuously claim His promises over our friends.  We never know when we might be the lifeline they need in the midst of what appears to be a ruined life.  Disclaimer:  that doesn’t mean in declaring it over them that we can speak it into them.

Practice Gratitude.

When it feels like life is falling apart, the last thing I want to do is be thankful.  In a past season of life falling apart, I started “Counting to 1000” alongside Ann Voskamp. I thought I could write down three gratefuls each day.  I have to admit some days were difficult.  However, the persistence to practice gratitude has brought many blessings into my life and in time given me new perspectives.  [bctt tweet=”Practicing gratitude helps us begin to see life from a different pair of glasses, God glasses! –Karen Smith/Glimpses of Faith and Struggles” username=”kksmith8694″]

God does not ruin lives!!  His plans are good.  They are to prosper and not to harm, to provide a future and a hope.  Remember these truths when it feels like God has ruined our lives and let’s put on our God glasses so we see life from a bigger perspective!

Embrace brokenness, declare truth, and practice gratefulness.

And let’s remember the words of Krisann, “But God you’re still God, and you know things we don’t know.”