October 23, 2025 • 15 mins
What if the struggle you’re facing is the very soil where your next season of growth will take root? We take a hard look at pain, delay, and unanswered questions through the promise of Romans 8:28, then get practical about reframing setbacks as invitations rather than interruptions. Along the way, we share a personal family story that moved from heartbreak to renewal and reveal the simple disciplines—praise, trust, daily prayer—that shift a soul from surviving to grounded and hopeful.
We start by naming how easy it is to believe that life should be smooth and predictable, and how quickly worry takes the wheel when it isn’t. Then we offer a three-step framework to navigate the unknown: welcome struggles like a wise friend you’re learning from, expect God to work even when the timeline is hidden, and practice trust by releasing outcomes you cannot control. That posture doesn’t minimize pain; it opens your heart to the good that often arrives quietly and later than expected. Praise becomes a practical tool here, shrinking problems from mountains to molehills by lifting our eyes from the seen to the unseen.
You’ll also hear a candid look at a family wound that, over time, sparked a deeper relationship with Jesus, a hunger for Scripture, and a life of service. It’s a reminder that spiritual growth often begins at the edge of our comfort and blooms through steady, faithful steps. If you’re wrestling with a heavy season, this conversation offers a clear path: trade anxiety for presence, complaint for gratitude, and control for trust. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs hope today, and leave a review with the mindset shift you’re choosing this week.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:05):
Hello, this is Debbie and Greg Gold, and
welcome to the You Are Not Alonepodcast, where we cover topics
that will help you navigatelife.
And as Christians, we know thatwe can't do it alone.
We need Jesus.
We encourage you to join us onthe journey that will help you
begin or deepen your walk withChrist no matter where you are.
(00:29):
Hello and welcome to anotheruplifting episode of the You Are
Not Alone podcast with Debbieand Greg.
This week we are going to belooking at the idea that God
uses all things for the good tofulfill his good purpose.
And actually, I said we, butit's really just me.
(00:50):
Um Greg is off again this week,and um he'll be back next week
for sure because he's going tobe interviewing me about my
life.
So he better be here.
Um yeah, about my life and howmy faith has evolved and shaped
who I am today.
So get ready for that one.
(01:11):
It'll be, it should be a goodshow.
Um, but first let's talk aboutthe highlight of the week.
I have to say, yesterday I wastickled.
I got a picture from a friend ofmine that lives out in
California.
And um, it's a picture of himand I about 33 years ago.
And we were um, I lived outthere at the time in the San
(01:32):
Francisco Bay Area, and we itwas New Year's Eve, and two days
after that, New Year's Eve, Iwas going to be moving back to
Wisconsin to uh start my uhundergraduate work and social
work.
And um anyway, we uh we did thiscruise in the San Francisco Bay,
(01:56):
and it was a picture of the twoof us, and it was it was just um
it just tickled me just to seewhat we looked like back then,
and um it was you know just agreat evening and uh just a fun
thing that we were able to do insort of a great way for me to to
leave that um that area which Ihad been, gosh, I lived there
(02:20):
probably 10 years.
So anyway, um if you ever getit, if you get a chance today,
find an old picture, take apicture of it and send it off to
you know, that person, thefriend, the family member,
whatever, it will make theirday.
Anyway, okay, so let's go aheadand get started.
Um, so do you ever wonder whybad things happen to people or
(02:41):
why we go through seasons ofstruggle or why people hurt or
people get hurt?
In the Bible, Romans chapter 8,verse 28, in the NIV version it
says, and we know that in allthings God works for the good of
those who love him, who havebeen called according to his
(03:04):
purpose.
So God has a purpose for all ofus as Christians, and God has
the power and the ability tomanage every aspect of our
lives, and he is also able tomake the sufferings that we
experience work together forgood according to his ultimate
(03:24):
plan for us.
So I think it's commonplace forus to view our, you know,
disturbing situations, ourdisappointments, our struggles,
our interruptions, or our hurts,you know, as a resistance or as
it like it's a trial.
Oh no, not this, not anotherthing.
(03:46):
Um, you know, those those kindof thoughts that we have.
And those times are reallycountless for me when I I look
back, right?
They're they happen.
Life is not perfect.
And I'm coming to really embracethat they are in my life because
(04:07):
they are there from God and thatthere is a reason, and that
ultimately God will bring goodout of them.
So I really want you toencourage, or I really want to
encourage you to shift yourthinking during those times when
you experience a hurt or astruggle or a you know
interruption or a disturbingsituation.
(04:29):
So, what if you did this?
What if you welcomed them asfriends?
Oh boy, that's that's a newconcept, right?
It's scary.
What?
I don't want that as a friend.
So, but I want to challenge youto look at it that way.
That's number one.
Then I want you to believe thatthese are opportunities to see
how God is going to work.
And that's kind of exciting.
(04:50):
It's like thinking about itlike, what is God gonna bring
out of this that's going to begood and make me a better
person, or have a strongerrelationship with someone, or
learn something about myself.
So number one is um welcomethese times as friends in your
(05:15):
life, and then think about andwonder about the opportunities
that God about how God is goingto work in your life.
And then finally, I want you totrust that in God's time that he
will bring you to a place ofvictory and abundance, that he
will enrich you through eachproblem, every struggle, every
(05:36):
conflict, and that you might seeyour weaknesses, your
shortcomings, your sins, yourself-centeredness in the
process.
So, in other words, anotheropportunities to grow for
yourself.
So, welcome them as friends.
Um believe that these areopportunities to see how God is
(05:59):
going to work in your lives andthat He's going to bring um,
thirdly, He's going to bringvictory and abundance into your
life.
So, isn't that?
I think that's just a muchbetter approach than worrying
and saying, why me?
I can never get a break.
Now what's going on here?
You know, things are going tohappen.
(06:20):
We all have a desire for atroubled free life, but the
truth is that is just notreality.
I used to think that, you know,I was single, it was just me.
Seemed like everything was just,you know, would just kind of
ride along every day, andnothing was, you know,
troublesome and everything waseasy.
And um, I just don't see that inmy life that way anymore.
(06:43):
Um so and um so I guess I wantto add that God doesn't promise
a perfect life, but with him, hepromises an easier life.
And that is true.
So true.
And someone once said to me,said, keep your eyes on the
(07:05):
unseen and not the seen, meaningkeep your eyes on God and not
the situations that are staringyou right in the face.
So, like right now, I'm goingthrough this really difficult
time with um my son, and it'sbeen going on for quite, you
know, a while, quite a while, acouple years.
And um I recently discoveredsome ways that I could, it just
(07:30):
felt like the same things wouldhappen over and over and over.
And, you know, as he would say,you know, it feels like you're
either happy with me or you'remad at me.
Like it was black and white.
And it it I said, you know, itfeels like that to me too.
You're absolutely right.
But, anyways, uh recently I'vejust God has put in my life some
opportunities to sort of stepaway from that um the the chaos
(07:56):
of that situation.
And um, I'm really feeling um,I'm looking at it this as this
is my friend, this situation.
And then I know that God's gonnado something good out of it.
And um I haven't seen that yet,but I feel like that takes such
a relief off me.
Like it was very burdensome.
(08:18):
And now I feel like I know thatgood things are gonna come of
this, whether that's in ourrelationship or in myself, or
you know, I'm not sure how God'sgoing to put or you know, lay
all this out yet, but um, I'mokay with that.
I'm finally at peace.
So it's because I took adifferent um view of the
(08:40):
situation.
And um, yeah, so I hope that isum, I don't know, inspirational
to you, I guess.
Now I want to talk about trust.
Trust can be hard because theunknown is uncomfortable, right?
What will the outcome be?
When will I see resolve?
(09:02):
When will I get relief?
When will there be an end?
But that is what you have to letgo of and trust that God has a
plan for your situation.
There's no point in worrying.
We need to turn it over to God.
We have no control over it.
So it's better to lit, you know,better to take comfort and
(09:24):
giving it to God than um livingin the discomfort and the
unknown.
So I want to um encourage you topraise God instead of worrying.
Um, praising, praise God for allthe trials that you that you
have in your or that come yourway.
Um, because remember thatultimately these are blessings
(09:47):
in disguise.
And when you praise God in themidst of your trials, you are co
op actually cooperating with hisplan.
And when you complain, you'reresisting.
Think about that.
God's got something going on inyour life, and when you're
complaining about it orresisting it, um, you're not
(10:08):
following the path that God hasfor you.
So when you offer praise to God,you are actually seeing your
problem from a new perspective.
And I really want you to thinkabout this.
So you start to see your problemas a molehill and not a
mountain, right?
(10:28):
It's sort of a reframe to seeyour problem in a very different
light.
And also, number two, you seethem as an opportunity.
You see your trials as anopportunity instead of an
obstruction or an inconvenience.
I was talking to a friend atchurch recently, and um I was
(10:50):
telling him about a situationI'm struggling with.
And I shared my belief that Iknow that God is using this
situation for his good and forultimately my purpose.
And he added, you know, heagreed to that, and he added,
you know, it's oh if only weknew what the good was and when
(11:13):
it was coming.
I know that would be so good,but we're not gonna get that.
And uh we'll find out when weget there.
You know, God doesn't work thatway, right?
And he just he really wants usto trust him and to have faith
that it will come in his timing.
(11:35):
Okay, and I wanna, I think,close.
I think this would be a good wayto close.
So I want to last week I talkedabout forgiveness, and there was
a situation that happened in myfamily.
Um, I would encourage you to goback and listen to last week's
episode, which was episode uh11, season two, episode 11.
(11:57):
And um I I share a time where Iwas I felt very wronged by my
family, and I was devastated andhurt by what had happened.
And um at the time I didn't seeany of this, but when I look
back, there was so much goodthat came out of that situation.
(12:20):
Um, and I just want to sharesome of that with you.
Uh, it it was really the sparkthat launched my faith.
I had been going to church.
Um pretty much that was it, justgoing to church most Sundays.
But this really yeah, launchedme, launched me into taking more
(12:43):
steps to becoming um a moreinvolved Christian.
And so basically I went from aSunday churchgoer to a believer
who really wanted more.
I just really wanted more.
I wasn't even sure what thatwas, but I was gonna get more.
And I wanted to understand likewhat the Bible had to say.
Like that was one of mycravings.
It's like, oh, this Bible iskind of confusing, it's hard to
(13:05):
understand.
And you know, eventually, astime goes on, you get a better
handle on all of that.
But the other thing was I wantedto be a better person and I
wanted to live a Christ-likelife.
And then um somewhere along theline, I started praying every
day.
So I got the concept of doingthat and what that meant and how
(13:27):
and why it was important.
I started serving God throughthe church and the community,
and you know, I think thebiggest thing, and we will be
talking about this in someupcoming episodes, but uh and
most importantly, it was to havea real a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ.
And um there is so that's thatthat's all that came out of that
(13:50):
one situation.
That's a lot, and I am, youknow, I can look back now and
say, I'm so grateful thatsituation happened.
At the time I couldn't see itthat way, but now I can because
I see the beauty of whatevolved.
And so um, yeah, that was thecatalyst 17 years ago.
(14:14):
That happened way back in 2008,and that was the catalyst to
bringing me closer to God andchanging my life forever.
So I think that's our show fortoday.
I'm gonna wrap it up here.
I just want you to seek God.
I'm telling you, He will notdisappoint you.
And if you haven't already doneso, please visit our website at
(14:35):
Debbie and Greggold.com.
I would like to ask you tosubscribe.
And from there, you can alsolike us on Facebook and follow
us on Instagram.
Here's your call, your call toaction.
So we're wanting to understandour listeners better and find
out what your needs are and whatyou would like to see in regard
(14:56):
to our show.
Um, and you know, I don't know,but anything really.
So we just want to hear fromyou.
Um, so go to our website and ifyou scroll down to the the
contact us section, we want um,we would like for you to uh fill
(15:19):
fill out that information thereand hear what you you would like
from us.
Also, please share our work withyour people because we all need
Jesus.
Um, and anyway, so we will seeyou back here, and we meaning me
and Greg, or Greg and I, and umthank you, God, for this
episode.
Remember, Jesus is always withyou.
(15:39):
You are not alone.
We love you and make it a greatday.
Hello, this is Debbie and Greg Gold, and
welcome to the You Are Not Alonepodcast, where we cover topics
that will help you navigatelife.
And as Christians, we know thatwe can't do it alone.
We need Jesus.
We encourage you to join us onthe journey that will help you
begin or deepen your walk withChrist no matter where you are.
(00:29):
Hello and welcome to anotheruplifting episode of the You Are
Not Alone podcast with Debbieand Greg.
This week we are going to belooking at the idea that God
uses all things for the good tofulfill his good purpose.
And actually, I said we, butit's really just me.
(00:50):
Um Greg is off again this week,and um he'll be back next week
for sure because he's going tobe interviewing me about my
life.
So he better be here.
Um yeah, about my life and howmy faith has evolved and shaped
who I am today.
So get ready for that one.
(01:11):
It'll be, it should be a goodshow.
Um, but first let's talk aboutthe highlight of the week.
I have to say, yesterday I wastickled.
I got a picture from a friend ofmine that lives out in
California.
And um, it's a picture of himand I about 33 years ago.
And we were um, I lived outthere at the time in the San
(01:32):
Francisco Bay Area, and we itwas New Year's Eve, and two days
after that, New Year's Eve, Iwas going to be moving back to
Wisconsin to uh start my uhundergraduate work and social
work.
And um anyway, we uh we did thiscruise in the San Francisco Bay,
(01:56):
and it was a picture of the twoof us, and it was it was just um
it just tickled me just to seewhat we looked like back then,
and um it was you know just agreat evening and uh just a fun
thing that we were able to do insort of a great way for me to to
leave that um that area which Ihad been, gosh, I lived there
(02:20):
probably 10 years.
So anyway, um if you ever getit, if you get a chance today,
find an old picture, take apicture of it and send it off to
you know, that person, thefriend, the family member,
whatever, it will make theirday.
Anyway, okay, so let's go aheadand get started.
Um, so do you ever wonder whybad things happen to people or
(02:41):
why we go through seasons ofstruggle or why people hurt or
people get hurt?
In the Bible, Romans chapter 8,verse 28, in the NIV version it
says, and we know that in allthings God works for the good of
those who love him, who havebeen called according to his
(03:04):
purpose.
So God has a purpose for all ofus as Christians, and God has
the power and the ability tomanage every aspect of our
lives, and he is also able tomake the sufferings that we
experience work together forgood according to his ultimate
(03:24):
plan for us.
So I think it's commonplace forus to view our, you know,
disturbing situations, ourdisappointments, our struggles,
our interruptions, or our hurts,you know, as a resistance or as
it like it's a trial.
Oh no, not this, not anotherthing.
(03:46):
Um, you know, those those kindof thoughts that we have.
And those times are reallycountless for me when I I look
back, right?
They're they happen.
Life is not perfect.
And I'm coming to really embracethat they are in my life because
(04:07):
they are there from God and thatthere is a reason, and that
ultimately God will bring goodout of them.
So I really want you toencourage, or I really want to
encourage you to shift yourthinking during those times when
you experience a hurt or astruggle or a you know
interruption or a disturbingsituation.
(04:29):
So, what if you did this?
What if you welcomed them asfriends?
Oh boy, that's that's a newconcept, right?
It's scary.
What?
I don't want that as a friend.
So, but I want to challenge youto look at it that way.
That's number one.
Then I want you to believe thatthese are opportunities to see
how God is going to work.
And that's kind of exciting.
(04:50):
It's like thinking about itlike, what is God gonna bring
out of this that's going to begood and make me a better
person, or have a strongerrelationship with someone, or
learn something about myself.
So number one is um welcomethese times as friends in your
(05:15):
life, and then think about andwonder about the opportunities
that God about how God is goingto work in your life.
And then finally, I want you totrust that in God's time that he
will bring you to a place ofvictory and abundance, that he
will enrich you through eachproblem, every struggle, every
(05:36):
conflict, and that you might seeyour weaknesses, your
shortcomings, your sins, yourself-centeredness in the
process.
So, in other words, anotheropportunities to grow for
yourself.
So, welcome them as friends.
Um believe that these areopportunities to see how God is
(05:59):
going to work in your lives andthat He's going to bring um,
thirdly, He's going to bringvictory and abundance into your
life.
So, isn't that?
I think that's just a muchbetter approach than worrying
and saying, why me?
I can never get a break.
Now what's going on here?
You know, things are going tohappen.
(06:20):
We all have a desire for atroubled free life, but the
truth is that is just notreality.
I used to think that, you know,I was single, it was just me.
Seemed like everything was just,you know, would just kind of
ride along every day, andnothing was, you know,
troublesome and everything waseasy.
And um, I just don't see that inmy life that way anymore.
(06:43):
Um so and um so I guess I wantto add that God doesn't promise
a perfect life, but with him, hepromises an easier life.
And that is true.
So true.
And someone once said to me,said, keep your eyes on the
(07:05):
unseen and not the seen, meaningkeep your eyes on God and not
the situations that are staringyou right in the face.
So, like right now, I'm goingthrough this really difficult
time with um my son, and it'sbeen going on for quite, you
know, a while, quite a while, acouple years.
And um I recently discoveredsome ways that I could, it just
(07:30):
felt like the same things wouldhappen over and over and over.
And, you know, as he would say,you know, it feels like you're
either happy with me or you'remad at me.
Like it was black and white.
And it it I said, you know, itfeels like that to me too.
You're absolutely right.
But, anyways, uh recently I'vejust God has put in my life some
opportunities to sort of stepaway from that um the the chaos
(07:56):
of that situation.
And um, I'm really feeling um,I'm looking at it this as this
is my friend, this situation.
And then I know that God's gonnado something good out of it.
And um I haven't seen that yet,but I feel like that takes such
a relief off me.
Like it was very burdensome.
(08:18):
And now I feel like I know thatgood things are gonna come of
this, whether that's in ourrelationship or in myself, or
you know, I'm not sure how God'sgoing to put or you know, lay
all this out yet, but um, I'mokay with that.
I'm finally at peace.
So it's because I took adifferent um view of the
(08:40):
situation.
And um, yeah, so I hope that isum, I don't know, inspirational
to you, I guess.
Now I want to talk about trust.
Trust can be hard because theunknown is uncomfortable, right?
What will the outcome be?
When will I see resolve?
(09:02):
When will I get relief?
When will there be an end?
But that is what you have to letgo of and trust that God has a
plan for your situation.
There's no point in worrying.
We need to turn it over to God.
We have no control over it.
So it's better to lit, you know,better to take comfort and
(09:24):
giving it to God than um livingin the discomfort and the
unknown.
So I want to um encourage you topraise God instead of worrying.
Um, praising, praise God for allthe trials that you that you
have in your or that come yourway.
Um, because remember thatultimately these are blessings
(09:47):
in disguise.
And when you praise God in themidst of your trials, you are co
op actually cooperating with hisplan.
And when you complain, you'reresisting.
Think about that.
God's got something going on inyour life, and when you're
complaining about it orresisting it, um, you're not
(10:08):
following the path that God hasfor you.
So when you offer praise to God,you are actually seeing your
problem from a new perspective.
And I really want you to thinkabout this.
So you start to see your problemas a molehill and not a
mountain, right?
(10:28):
It's sort of a reframe to seeyour problem in a very different
light.
And also, number two, you seethem as an opportunity.
You see your trials as anopportunity instead of an
obstruction or an inconvenience.
I was talking to a friend atchurch recently, and um I was
(10:50):
telling him about a situationI'm struggling with.
And I shared my belief that Iknow that God is using this
situation for his good and forultimately my purpose.
And he added, you know, heagreed to that, and he added,
you know, it's oh if only weknew what the good was and when
(11:13):
it was coming.
I know that would be so good,but we're not gonna get that.
And uh we'll find out when weget there.
You know, God doesn't work thatway, right?
And he just he really wants usto trust him and to have faith
that it will come in his timing.
(11:35):
Okay, and I wanna, I think,close.
I think this would be a good wayto close.
So I want to last week I talkedabout forgiveness, and there was
a situation that happened in myfamily.
Um, I would encourage you to goback and listen to last week's
episode, which was episode uh11, season two, episode 11.
(11:57):
And um I I share a time where Iwas I felt very wronged by my
family, and I was devastated andhurt by what had happened.
And um at the time I didn't seeany of this, but when I look
back, there was so much goodthat came out of that situation.
(12:20):
Um, and I just want to sharesome of that with you.
Uh, it it was really the sparkthat launched my faith.
I had been going to church.
Um pretty much that was it, justgoing to church most Sundays.
But this really yeah, launchedme, launched me into taking more
(12:43):
steps to becoming um a moreinvolved Christian.
And so basically I went from aSunday churchgoer to a believer
who really wanted more.
I just really wanted more.
I wasn't even sure what thatwas, but I was gonna get more.
And I wanted to understand likewhat the Bible had to say.
Like that was one of mycravings.
It's like, oh, this Bible iskind of confusing, it's hard to
(13:05):
understand.
And you know, eventually, astime goes on, you get a better
handle on all of that.
But the other thing was I wantedto be a better person and I
wanted to live a Christ-likelife.
And then um somewhere along theline, I started praying every
day.
So I got the concept of doingthat and what that meant and how
(13:27):
and why it was important.
I started serving God throughthe church and the community,
and you know, I think thebiggest thing, and we will be
talking about this in someupcoming episodes, but uh and
most importantly, it was to havea real a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ.
And um there is so that's thatthat's all that came out of that
(13:50):
one situation.
That's a lot, and I am, youknow, I can look back now and
say, I'm so grateful thatsituation happened.
At the time I couldn't see itthat way, but now I can because
I see the beauty of whatevolved.
And so um, yeah, that was thecatalyst 17 years ago.
(14:14):
That happened way back in 2008,and that was the catalyst to
bringing me closer to God andchanging my life forever.
So I think that's our show fortoday.
I'm gonna wrap it up here.
I just want you to seek God.
I'm telling you, He will notdisappoint you.
And if you haven't already doneso, please visit our website at
(14:35):
Debbie and Greggold.com.
I would like to ask you tosubscribe.
And from there, you can alsolike us on Facebook and follow
us on Instagram.
Here's your call, your call toaction.
So we're wanting to understandour listeners better and find
out what your needs are and whatyou would like to see in regard
(14:56):
to our show.
Um, and you know, I don't know,but anything really.
So we just want to hear fromyou.
Um, so go to our website and ifyou scroll down to the the
contact us section, we want um,we would like for you to uh fill
(15:19):
fill out that information thereand hear what you you would like
from us.
Also, please share our work withyour people because we all need
Jesus.
Um, and anyway, so we will seeyou back here, and we meaning me
and Greg, or Greg and I, and umthank you, God, for this
episode.
Remember, Jesus is always withyou.
(15:39):
You are not alone.
We love you and make it a greatday.
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The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.