Serenity in Suffering

Finding Peace and Purpose in the Storms of Life

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Hi, I’m Donna!

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Welcome to Serenity in Suffering; a safe place to find Hope and purpose in the hard places of life, through intimacy with Jesus Christ.

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Recent Posts

The Healing Power of Grief
Doubts, Darkness, and Unanswered Questions
Where is God in the Silence?
Are You Wearing the Fragrance of Christ?
The Wisdom of the Wilderness

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serenityinsuffering

I know why you hide from the truth of your story b

I know why you hide from the truth of your story because it's the same reason I hide from mine.

Shame.

Feeling shame isn't just about those unspeakable parts of your story. The promiscuity, deceit, abuse, addictions, things you would never drag into the light of day.

Shame lurks beneath poor choices, failures, impatience with your child, spouse or friends, illness, rejection, and financial hardship.

Shame is the fear gripping you when you feel behind; not smart enough, not successful enough, not spiritually mature enough.

Shame meets you in your suffering, with words of doubt; does God care? Maybe I'm too weak, I'm being punished, or doing something wrong. Perhaps people will tire of hearing my suffering story.

Shame shrouded my life for so long, I began to question the worth of my existence.

I coped in many ways, the most damaging was to ignore my past. To edit it out of my story. Create a new identity. Because (shame said) if anyone knew, they would not love me.

But hiding the past doesn't negate it ever happened, and shame reminds us of that truth daily.

The more attempts I made at hiding and rewriting my story, the tighter shame's grip on me became.

Until one day God asked for the pen. His tender voice told me He knew every part of my story, and it was beautiful.

At least it would be beautiful in His hands. Right now, it was only a rough draft.

And the best news is that God works exclusively with rough drafts, and He only crafts redemption stories.

Dear One, here's the truth: you're not broken, behind, or beyond God's love. He is closer to you now, than you realize. And from this place, with your face buried in the dust of your shame, He is writing the most beautiful redemption story ever written about you.

A story you will tell forever through the very wounds which drove you into hiding.

Won't you trust God with your story? He already knows all about it and loves you with an unfailing love.

#serenityinsuffering #suffering #shame #rejection #hope #faith #redemption

What do you need every day? No matter how many ch

What do you need every day?

No matter how many challenges confront me in this season, signs of new life all around my gardens remind me of the unshakeable hope found in the mercies of God.

Like the garden’s new offerings daily, God beckons me to a fresh encounter with Him each morning, where I find mercies sufficient for today.

His mercies come new every morning, because we are not promised tomorrow, nor hold knowledge of all this day portends.

Turning the eyes of our hearts upon God at the start of our day reminds us of His steadfast, never-ending love for us.

God’s invitation in the garden bids me consider not only how He nurtures creation, but the necessity of receiving His gifts daily.

Creation displays His beauty in every sunrise, unfolding leaf, budding flower, and farewell sunset.

But are we receiving His creative gifts daily?

Check out my new Substack article where I share more on God's special nurturing touch, photographs from my gardens and a special GIVEAWAY!!

Link in bio!

#serenityinsuffering #suffering #spring #creation #godslove #hope #newlife #faith

Are you discouraged? Discouragement sneaks up on

Are you discouraged?

Discouragement sneaks up on us. From tiny disappointments like a rained-out walk, a less than welcoming response to a coffee date offer, or a washing machine breakdown on an overdue laundry day, to the hard realities of an unexpected bill or troubling news about a family member, discouragement seeps into our lives uninvited.

At times you feel like the proverbial black cloud has become your latest BFF.

Or worse, God has chosen to distance Himself from the tiresome mess your life has become lately.

All of this has been true for me.

But as the earth began telling the resurrection story again through the arrival of spring, my soul found hope.

Though hope may lay buried for a time, it is never truly dead.

Though God seems distant, His love speaks even in the silence. His unfailing love radiates over us.

If you are discouraged today, bring your sadness to the Lord, allow Him to anoint you once again with the oil of Joy.

And remember, hope will bloom again.

Where does your life feel hard today? Share in the comments.

#serenityinsuffering #suffering #discouragement #hope #faith #springrenewal

Are you confused, disillusioned, and wondering whe

Are you confused, disillusioned, and wondering where God is?⁣
⁣
Not long ago I spent time with someone enduring a long season of suffering. ⁣
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Sharing many things in common, our visits overflow with easy conversation and genuine connection. ⁣
⁣
A rare friendship where we rest without the need to impress, suppress authenticity, or fear judgment, we open our hearts to wrestle with the hard things in life. ⁣
⁣
We have both found ourselves grappling with doubts, darkness and unanswered questions in our current seasons of life. ⁣
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In these seasons though we determine to persevere with steadfast faith, our hope wavers.⁣
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Embattled by suffering, doubts and unanswered questions swirl amid the darkness obscuring the light of hope so necessary for our souls to find their way home.⁣
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In seasons of complex suffering like my friend has endured for several years, God’s silence leaves us wrestling with guilt over our doubts about His love, disillusionment over our faith, and perhaps worst of all, whether God is who He says He is.⁣
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If this describes your current season, I have something to share with you in my new blog post, "Doubts, Darkness, and Unanswered Questions". Find the link in my bio-see you there!

Are you confused, disillusioned, and wondering whe

Are you confused, disillusioned, and wondering where God is?⁣
⁣
Not long ago I spent time with someone enduring a long season of suffering. ⁣
⁣
Sharing many things in common, our visits overflow with easy conversation and genuine connection. ⁣
⁣
A rare friendship where we rest without the need to impress, suppress authenticity, or fear judgment, we open our hearts to wrestle with the hard things in life. ⁣
⁣
We have both found ourselves grappling with doubts, darkness and unanswered questions in our current seasons of life. ⁣
⁣
In these seasons though we determine to persevere with steadfast faith, our hope wavers.⁣
⁣
Embattled by suffering, doubts and unanswered questions swirl amid the darkness obscuring the light of hope so necessary for our souls to find their way home.⁣
⁣
In seasons of complex suffering like my friend has endured for several years, God’s silence leaves us wrestling with guilt over our doubts about His love, disillusionment over our faith, and perhaps worst of all, whether God is who He says He is.⁣
⁣
If this describes your current season, I have something to share with you in my new blog post, "Doubts, Darkness, and Unanswered Questions". Find the link in my bio-see you there!

Are you living with unanswered prayer? Failure in

Are you living with unanswered prayer?

Failure in receiving an immediate answer to prayer tests our faith in, and relationship to God.

Stripping away superficial ideals, false perspectives, and earthly comforts all force us into the light.

A light which begs answers to the hard questions of why we place belief in God and if God truly is who we believe.

When I suffered a deep personal tragedy involving my son, my limited vision only saw heaven’s door closed in my face; suffering obscured the sight of God's face and the sound of His voice.

If this resonates with you, I invite you to read my personal story over on Substack, in my post, "Suffering in Seasons of Silence", where you may also find encouragement for your own journey. Link in bio!

#serenityinsuffering #suffering #trauma #unansweredprayer #doubts #godslove #hope #faith

Have you ever longed for a faith that was fully al

Have you ever longed for a faith that was fully alive and present?

I longed for a faith that exhibited more than obedience, a faith fully alive and present.

I longed for a heart ablaze with love for Christ, not one that flickered, devoid of boldness—a devotion shaped not by duty, but by desire.

I think most of us would agree that we have this longing, yet we struggle to move from longing to reality.

In my new book, "A Passion for Christ: A Transformative Faith Journey through the Passion of Christ to a Passion for Christ", I help you move beyond the simple desire to the reality of an intimacy which is truly transforming.

Available on Amazon. See the direct link in my bio.

For those who have read my book, what was most impactful for you in your journey?

#serenityinsuffering #newdevotional #devotionals #spiritualformation #godslove #hope #faith

When was the last time you chased the healing powe

When was the last time you chased the healing power of beauty?

Ever since I can remember I have found beauty to bring a level of healing to my soul.

Whether that beauty is art, music, or nature, I am transformed within it.

Over the past week I have immersed myself in the beauty of my gardens, capturing these photos of Virginia Blue Bells, Jacob's Ladder, Woodland Anemones, Yellow Star Flowers, Daffodils, Wood Ferns, & a simple Hyacinth.

I captured many more photos but stopped to share this small sampling to encourage you to pursue beauty in your own surroundings.

The stunning beauty of nature reminds us of the good here in the land of the living, that Eden buried in our hearts is still alive despite the suffering and brokenness around us.

Where are you finding beauty today?

#serenityinsuffering #eden #garden #springbeauty #hope #faith #redemption

Have you ever felt disillusionment with God, holdi

Have you ever felt disillusionment with God, holding the story of a life you no longer recognize?

Have you sought for answers only to wonder, “where is God in the silence?”

We all came to Jesus with broken pieces of ourselves we hoped He would heal.

Whether physical healing, illness, addictions, financial woes, relational brokenness, or sundry other wounds, our grief, loss, and hopelessness drove us to Him for wholeness—for new life.

But somewhere along the journey we find this new life strewn with disappointment; our expectations at odds with the God we believed would transform our pain.

Sitting with the shards of broken dreams and fragile hopes of a story I would rather burn than live, I wonder, where is the God who makes everything new?

Less than a week from remembering the crucifixion, I still ponder the turn of events from a welcoming, rejoicing crowd proclaiming Hosanna, to one just days later crying, “Crucify Him!”

Reading the story again, I lingered with a reality which resonated with my own hard story.

Join me on the blog where I explore the tension of disillusionment and trust and how we make sense of the suffering we don't understand in my new post, "Where is God in the Silence?" Link in bio!

#serenityinsuffering #suffering #silence #whereisgod #hope #faith #godslove #grief

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