We often talk about the joy of the Lord and the peace that surpasses understanding. Those are beautiful realities. But if we’re being honest, there’s another side to this walk—the side that feels heavy, quiet, and confusing.
Living as a woman of faith in the “in-between” (after the Resurrection but before Christ’s return) means balancing our hope with some very tough realities. I think it helps when we build awareness around these realities so we aren’t caught off guard when “life lifes,” because you know it will.
Here are five realities of the faith journey I’ve had to process lately:
1. Some sickness is “unto death.”
We believe in a God who can move mountains and cure the “incurable.” But one of the hardest pills to swallow is that sometimes, no matter how much we pray or fast, He chooses not to.
I’ve sat in that tension as my uncle and my mother’s best friend both battled cancer. From April-June 2025, I prayed for a miracle alongside my family. My mom’s pastor prayed over my uncle in the hospital, yet he died the day after that prayer. Later, during a fast at the beginning of 2026, my mother’s friend’s healing was the very first request on my list. I even asked for prayer for her at our church’s women’s gathering. She died just days later, only seven months after my uncle.
We have to grapple with the fact that even our most earnest prayers don’t always result in earthly healing. Sometimes, the ultimate healing happens only when they step into eternity.
2. The “Why” for suffering might stay a mystery.
We love a good testimony—the kind where we look back and say, “Oh, I see why God allowed that!” But the reality? Sometimes that Aha! moment won’t ever come.
God is sovereign, and because His perspective is eternal, He doesn’t always give us a peek into His plans. We have to trust that God loves us and is omniscient, so He alone understands his reasons for allowing things to happen or not happen. And in His omniscience and complete wisdom, he alone decides if we should ever understand the why or not.
3. Heartbreaking things will happen that make us question our faith.
Being a Christian doesn’t insulate us from the tragedies of a fallen world. I think of my dear friend, whose father died of a heart attack just two months before his wedding. Imagine the ache of seeing that empty chair next to his mother on what should be one of the happiest days of his life. Or my other friend, who has endured a staggering cycle of loss, burying her nephew, her brother-in-law, and now her older sister.
From family pain to headlines about school bombings or abuse, our hearts will break. The longer you walk this earth, the more you will find yourself asking, “How long, Lord?” It’s okay to sit in that lament.
4. The “Narrow Path” often feels unfair.
There’s a common myth that if you follow the rules, life gets easy. But often, it feels like the opposite. You might be striving to live biblically and honor God with your choices, only to watch others who couldn’t care less about faith seemingly “winning” at life.
Living by God’s standards isn’t a transaction for a smooth life; it’s a commitment to a different Kingdom. Sometimes, the reward for your faithfulness won’t be an easier path, but a deeper intimacy with the One walking it with you.
5. God’s definition of “Good” is different from ours.
We tend to define “good” as comfort, success, or health. But God’s “good” is centered on eternity. His primary goal isn’t our temporary earthly satisfaction; it’s our transformation.
Romans 8:28 promises He works all things for our good, but that “good” is often the process of making us more like Jesus. It might not mean accomplishing our dreams, finding a spouse, or being healed. It might mean losing a dream to find a deeper calling, or enduring a physical thorn to discover a greater grace. He cares more about the state of our souls than the comfort of our circumstances.
I had every intention of ending this post by talking about the hope we have in Jesus and the new reality where there is no more pain. And while that is true, I want to end by just sitting here in our present reality—living in the “in-between” of Jesus’s resurrection and His return.
That space can be uncomfortable and hard, but we don’t have to rush to the “happy ending” of the blog post. Sometimes it’s good for us to pause in those hard places together because acknowledging these realities helps us build a faith that isn’t easily shaken when the storms hit. We aren’t caught off guard when life is hard; we’re prepared to lean harder on the only One who truly understands.
