“My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You.”

It was Job—the man whose name is synonymous with unthinkable suffering—who uttered this deeply poignant and humble reply to the Lord (Job 42:5).

What kind of storm transforms mere knowledge of God into a soul-changing, eye-opening encounter with the Almighty? Job’s story reveals a truth few are eager to learn. It is often through life’s deepest pain that we encounter God most profoundly.

While my trials pale in comparison to Job’s, I too have weathered a storm that has left me forever changed. The sudden, tragic loss of our firstborn son, Christopher, shattered my world. But in the wreckage, I found something unexpected. Immeasurable grace.

God came near. Heaven felt closer. Scripture became more than words on a page. The promises of God’s Word became life itself to me.

While “moving on” from a loss like that is impossible, I’ve learned we can move forward. Not barely surviving, but fully living.

 

Transformation

The Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s story is one of transformation born in a crucible of suffering. Condemned to death for radical political ideas, he stood before a firing squad facing the pull of the trigger. At the last moment, a messenger arrived with a pardon that spared his life but sent him to hard labor in a Siberian prison camp.

In that barren, frozen wasteland, Dostoyevsky’s faith was more than an abstract concept—it became his sustenance. He was shackled, hands and feet, but allowed a New Testament to read. Among criminals and outcasts, his suffering stripped away pretense and awakened his soul to life’s deeper truths.

He wrote to his brother that, “Life is everywhere life…in ourselves, not in what is outside us. We see the sun! Do not grieve for me!”  His words echo in my heart because I’ve experienced the same paradox: in the depths of suffering, we encounter the heights of God’s grace.

 

Lessons from the Storm

Some lessons I’ve learned while sitting in the shadow of grief.

  1. Eternity becomes more real. Suffering peels back the veil, exposing the temporary nature of earthly concerns. Losing Christopher shifted my focus to what truly matters: God, relationships, and living with eternal purpose.

 

  1. God draws near. Psalm 34:18 assures us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” In the throes of crushing pain, I encountered God more intensely than ever before. His presence was balm for my soul and His Word came alive with power and truth.

 

  1. Faith is refined by fire. Suffering strips away distractions and idols; it purifies faith. Like gold refined in fire (1 Peter 1:6-7) suffering reshapes and aligns our heart to trust God’s purposes even when we cannot understand.

 

  1. Resurrection power. Paul wrote, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). A shared experience can forge a deep bond, and Jesus knows suffering. Fellowship with Jesus takes on a whole new meaning when we’re compelled to trust and retrace His steps. When we share in Christ’s suffering, we also experience the power of His resurrected life.

 

A Testimony of Grace

If you’re in a storm right now, know this. God is not absent. He is with you, and He will transform your pain into purpose. My journey through grief has taught me that suffering does not have to define us—it can refine us.

Dostoyevsky lived every day as a gift after his near-death experience. His life and work testify to the truth that joy doesn’t come from avoiding suffering, but from enduring it with hope.

So let your trial speak. Let your pain become a testimony of God’s power to redeem, restore, and resurrect. This world defines meaning through ease and success, but God reveals purpose in the midst of a storm.

 

Fear Not

“My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You.”

Your suffering may be just the soil where God’s grace takes root and blooms into something beautiful. May your eyes see Him, even in this storm.