When God Moves You – Trusting the Shift After Loss - S3/E27

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Grief changes us in profound ways, sometimes shrinking our world to the size of a bedroom. After losing my husband and spending three years mostly confined to the room we once shared in our home of 34 years, I faced a divine disruption. God began moving me—not just physically from Indiana to South Carolina, but out of emotional stagnation and into a new season of purpose.

The memories of three decades filled every corner of that house. It wasn't just walls and windows; it was the physical container of a shared life with someone I deeply loved. When he passed away, something in me settled into that space, unwilling or unable to imagine life beyond it. My world became smaller, more contained, and in many ways, safer in its predictability.

But God doesn't leave us in wilderness places forever. "Behold, I will do a new thing," He promises in Isaiah 43:19, "I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Sometimes healing requires movement—geographical, emotional, spiritual—even when standing still feels safer. When God began stirring my heart to leave, I realized staying would mean resisting His gentle but persistent nudge toward something new.

Trust becomes our lifeline when understanding fails us. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding," Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us. I didn't understand why leaving was necessary. I couldn't comprehend how I would function away from the place that held so much of my history. But trust isn't about understanding—it's about following the One who holds everything, even when the path ahead seems unclear.

If you're walking through grief or major life transitions, remember that God sees you. He hasn't forgotten you, and He's calling you forward not to abandon you but to lead you into something new. He is still writing your story. Will you trust Him with the next chapter?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hi, things are going to be a little different than
what they have been.
I have been sick, I've movedfrom Indiana, I've moved to
South Carolina.
I have been sick over and overand things are still working on
me.
But I'm back and I want to talkabout something.
This time we are going to talkabout how you're different

(00:26):
sometimes when life is changingfor you.
Today's episode is kind ofpersonal.
I want to talk about what itmeans when God moves you, not
just in geography, butemotionally, spiritually, even
after the census, deep grief.

(00:51):
I lived in the home for 34 years.
31 of these were years where Iwas with my husband, a man and I
deeply loved, and we built alife together in that peace.
It was more than a house, itwas our home.
Our memories were in every roomand we just loved it.

(01:11):
We spent so much time togetherand I felt like we would be
there forever.
But I had to worry about thefact that he was older than me
and I was going to lose him.
I lived in the house for 34years.

(01:34):
31 of those years were with myhusband, a man I deeply loved,
and we built our life togetherin that place.
It was more than a house.
It was our home, our memories,where every room and every
corner of the house was takenover.
But then again he got sick andI spent a lot of time with him

(01:57):
and then he went away away.
I no longer had anything to dowith the balance of the house
After I lost him.
I just kind of lost a lot ofthings, never lost God.
He was always there with me,but I did kind of keep quiet.

(02:19):
He passed away and I spent thenext three years alone.
My family would come and see me, but basically in the house it
was just me.
Now, right the last year that Iwas there, my grandkids did
move in and all of a suddenthings started changing and I

(02:41):
realized that God didn't want methere any longer.
Things started changing and Irealized that God didn't want me
there any longer.
He wanted me to get up and goout and spend more time with Him
and quit leaning on just myselfin a house.
I spent the next three yearsalone, mostly in my bedroom,
grief, trying to heal, sometimesjust trying to get through the
day.
That house, once filled withlove and laughter, became quiet

(03:06):
and for a long time I didn'tknow if I would ever leave it,
physically or emotionally.
But you know what?
That's not what God wanted inmy life.
He did something I didn'texpect.
He began to move me out of thehouse yes, he also out of the
place of being stuck in the past.

(03:27):
I wanted to talk about why Godmoves us from places we've held
on and how we follow him evenwhen we're unsure of what the
path is.
God moved me to heal andfulfilled his purpose.
The scripture says for I knowthe thoughts that I think

(03:49):
towards you, says the Lord,thoughts of peace and not of
evil, to give you a future and ahope.
And that was in Jeremiah 29, 11.
When you lose someone you lovedeeply, you start changing.
It's easy to believe that yourbest days are behind you, but

(04:14):
you know what God reminds us?
That still his thoughts aretowards us, thoughts of peace.
He's not finished, even notlong.
He's still planning a futureand a hope.
I couldn't see that at first,but looking back, I realized

(04:36):
that God wasn't just asking meto leave the house.
He was leading me towardshealing.
He was moving me towards a newpurpose.
God moved me to do a new workin my life, and Isaiah 43, 19
says Behold, I will do a newthing Now.

(04:57):
It shall be forth.
Shall you not know it, I willeven make a road in the
wilderness and rivers in thedesert.
You not know it, I will evenmake a road in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
For three years my world shrankto my bedroom.
It became a sort of awilderness no-transcript.

(05:24):
I ended up staying in mybedroom.
I didn't cook.
I mostly ate out.
I would go to the bathroom anddo things, but I didn't.
I couldn't see that at first.
By looking back, I realizedthat God wasn't just asking me
to leave a house.
He was leading me towardshealing.
He was moving me towards adifferent purpose.

(05:47):
The scripture of Isaiah 43, 19says Behold, I will do a new
thing Now.
It shall spring forth.
Shall you not know it, I willeven make a road in the
wilderness and rivers in thedesert.
That's Isaiah 43, 19.
You know, I lived in that housemost of the time.

(06:10):
I spent my time just being kindof wilderness.
I stayed in the room, I didn'tdo anything and I just stayed
there with God.
And there were times when Iwould go to a friend's house.
There were times people wouldcome and see me, but I just
found my time to spend there inmy room where me and my husband

(06:33):
spent time.
So for three years my worldshrank to my bedroom.
It became a sort of wilderness.
But God didn't leave us in thewilderness forever.
He makes roads there, he bringsrivers to dry places and he
says I'm doing a new thing.
Can you see it?
You know, maybe sometimes youare lost, you've lost someone,

(06:58):
maybe you've lost a part ofyourself in the process.
But I promise God is still theGod of new things.
He is restoring me and he canrestore you.
God moved me so I would learnto trust in Him again, and I've
always trusted in Him.
But my trust in Him was He'lltake care of me where I am.

(07:21):
Well, that wasn't really whathe was saying.
He was going to take care of mewhere he sends me.
Proverbs 3, 5 through 6 saysTrust in the Lord with all of
your heart and lean not to yourown understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledgehim and he shall direct your
path.
I don't understand why hecalled me out of the home.

(07:45):
I had known.
I had been in that home for 34years.
That was my home and I did notwant to leave that home.
But you know, when God got tothe point where this wasn't
where he wanted me, I startednot wanting to be in that home.
I knew that I was moving away.
I knew God was sending mesomewhere and I just had to walk

(08:08):
right along whatever it was Godwas giving me and there's a lot
of things.
I know that through all of this, I've had sick days and Satan
has come and tried to push meand I had to fight with Satan.
But I know that God had thingsfor me for my life.
I know he is the one that'sleading me to be the type of

(08:31):
person that God wants me to be.
I don't understand why he wascalling me out of the home I had
.
I don't understand how I couldmove forward with such a place
in my heart still grieving.
But I chose to trust him andwhen we trust him, sometimes it

(08:54):
directs each of our steps.
You don't have to understandeverything, just trust the one
who holds everything, and thatis God.
Do you know what do I need todo to follow him?
I need to stay in his word.
I need to let the light in yournext step.

(09:16):
Psalms 119, 105,.
It says your word is a lamp tomy feet and a light to my past.
When you are stepping out of aseason of pain, you don't rush
to figure everything out.
Let God's word guide you.
It may not light up the wholehighway, but it will always give

(09:39):
you enough light for the nextstep.
Seek him with an open heart.
Seek the Lord in his strength,seek his face evermore, and
that's 1 Chronicles 16, 11.
During the three years, myprayers were sometimes just
whispers, tears, silence.

(10:00):
But I kept seeking him and intime he answered me.
He spoke comfort, then hedirected, and now he's opening
new doors.
Keep seeking, even if you don'tknow what it's going to say.
Walk in obedience even whenit's hard.
Isaiah 119 says if you arewilling and obedient, you shall

(10:25):
eat the good of the land.
Leaving the house meant lettinggo of what it once was.
I meant trusting God enough tobelieve that there was good
ahead, and there is.
If he asks you to let go, it'snot to take it from you.
It's to lead you into somethingthat you didn't know you were

(10:49):
supposed to receive until now.
Be strong and courageous, notalone.
And Joshua 1.19 says have I notcommanded you?
Be strong and of good courage,do not be afraid nor be dismayed
, for the Lord, your God, iswith you wherever you go, even

(11:16):
if you're starting all over,which I feel like I am.
I lived in a house for 34 years.
I'm now living with my son andhis wife and my grandkids.
It's all totally new anddifferent and I'm just taking a
step at a time to see what Godis leading me and what we're

(11:38):
going to do, and to let you knowhere I'm looking for a church,
I'm looking for what I need todo.
I want to still be whatever itis that God wants me to be and
to do whatever it is that Godwants me to do.
Even if you're starting over,even if you're walking alone,

(12:00):
you're not really alone.
God is with you wherever you go, and that includes painful,
uncertain healing and joyfulsteps ahead.
Painful, uncertain healing andjoyful steps ahead.
You know, if you've lost andyou love someone and if you
spend a season stuck in sorrowand if you've been afraid to let

(12:23):
go of the past.
Just listen to what I have tosay.
God sees you, he hasn'tforgotten you and he's calling
you out, not to abandon you butto lead you into something new.
He is still writing your story,trust him, follow him and know

(12:45):
that healing is holy ground andhe walks with you.
He's done the same thing withme and I am still just walking
in such a small step because Idon't know what's going on.
I'm not really sure what he hasfor me, but I know this is
where he sent me and that hewill lead me to where he wants

(13:08):
me to be and that he will leadme to where he wants me to be.
You know, if this spoke to yourheart, I'd love for you to
share it with someone else whomight be thinking or might be
walking through the lost or thetransition.
If you're in that place, don'tgive up, god.
God is not done.
You know this has been a crazy,crazy time for me and I know

(13:35):
that you guys missed me for twoweeks and it got kind of quiet
and I hope you open up to thispodcast and I hope that you see
that I've been doing on Tuesdaysand I want you to listen to the

(14:00):
podcast that I'm doing forSunday mornings.
I love you all.
God loves you all.
Pray for each other, pray forme.
If there's anything you need,just let me know and thank you.