My Victory Voyage – Page 6 – REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES

In MY VICTORY VOYAGE I’m sharing the trials I’ve faced and how God’s faithfulness carried me through. Join me on the 2nd Friday of each month in 2025 as we reflect on His restoration and grace.

The past decade has tested my faith and strength, especially through the heartbreak of estranged adult children. Ten Christmases and birthdays have brought deep waves of grief and longing. Yet, through it all, God’s faithfulness has carried me, whispering His promises of restoration and reminding me that no family is beyond His reach.

The Pain of Estrangement

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. ~ Psalm 147:3

To lose connection with a beloved child is a sorrow like none other. The questions, self-doubt, and helplessness can be overwhelming. I’ve asked God why this happened and what can be done to repair it. Yet, deep down my broken heart understands that God’s love for both me and my children is unshakable. I know He sees our pain and holds us tenderly in His loving arms.

God’s Promise of Restoration

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten… You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God. ~ Joel 2:25-26

The Bible is filled with stories and promises of restoration. The verse above reassures me that no matter how much time has been lost with my children or how broken things may seem today, God has the power to redeem it all and bring about full and complete restoration of our family.

Hope and Encouragement for Parents

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13

If you are walking a similar path, I want to encourage you with the words of one of my favorite verses above. Even when the future feels uncertain, God’s hope is our solid anchor. He calls us to trust Him, to believe in His timing, and to pray fervently for reconciliation.

Trusting God in the Process

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Restoration is not always immediate, and it may not come how we expect. Through this season, I’ve learned to prayerfully imagine each of my kids physically on my prayer altar, actually in God’s loving hands. This has helped get me through many tough days, weeks, months and years.

The best encouragement came in the last year when my husband and I were reconciled with our son and his young family. It has given us hope for the complete restoration of our entire family in God’s perfect timing.

Moving Forward with Hope

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6

In the promise above I’m reminded to trust in the seeds of faith that were planted long ago and to leave the outcome in God’s hands, knowing that He is faithful; He sees my heartache, and He is at work in ways I cannot yet see.

My prayer for you, dear reader, is that you too will find hope and healing as you navigate your own journey. May the God of restoration bring peace to your heart and reconciliation to your relationships in His perfect time.

After all we must remember that Love Takes Time…

In the MY VICTORY VOYAGE column I’ll be looking back primarily over the last two years of my life seeking to find everywhere God was faithful. I’m striving to learn lessons from the struggles of my life experience, asking “What is God trying to teach me? What do I still need to learn?” This column publishes the 3rd Friday every month in 2025.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

The experience of aging is different for every woman. So far it has been relatively easy for me because, thank God, my body is in good health. Although, I mistreated my body a lot in my teen years and again when the mid-life hormonal shock of menopause set in. Overall, most of my life I have eaten healthy and exercised regularly.

Sadly, my mental and spiritual state hasn’t always been as healthy as my body. For me, this requires a system of intentionality, a solid daily routine of time in God’s Word! That is the only thing that will keep my mind, emotions and spirit in check. I want most of all to live a life that honors God and brings glory to Jesus Christ.

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

Keeping limits and time boundaries on social media influences is a key to good mental and spiritual health for me. It’s too easy to get dragged into the comparison trap that only leads to depression.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Let’s be determined to take care of our mind, body and spirit so we can be all God has called us to be as we represent His kingdom here on earth, maybe even for 120 years.

Stay alive and breathing, look with hope for the joy only He can bring!