A blessing for when faith breaks your heart - Kate Bowler

The Luckiest Unlucky Person with

00:00 00:00
00:00

A blessing for when faith breaks your heart

Blessed are you standing among the ruins of a faith 
that once felt so sturdy,
now turned to dust under your feet. 

The certainty you once had, gone. 
The community you loved, dissipated.
The hope you held dear, hard to find. 

Instead, what’s taken up residence 
is the very stuff that seems counter 
to what you imagined:
Disappointment. Doubt. Disillusionment. Despair. 

In this new landscape, may you practice the courage to find the others
who make space for your questions without easy answers,

who celebrate doubt when it makes room for more faith,
who search high and low for a defiant hope born amidst despair.  

Bless you, dear one. You who don’t give up wrestling.
who have eyes to see something new being rebuilt on top of what was. 

Blessed are you who walk away wounded, yes. But changed.

This blessing was inspired by my conversation with Randall Balmer on the Everything Happens podcast. Listen to it here.

Subscribe
Notify of
6 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Lynn
8 months ago

Thank you, Kate! This is exactly where I am. Your blessings are a highlight of my week. May you receive many blessings today!

Claudia Griffith
8 months ago

Once again, you looked into my heart and found the words to express my feelings! This old lady, wounded and tired thanks you.

Anne Barron
8 months ago

To God be the glory for you, Kate Bowler. The words of this blessing speak to the reality of what so many of us are experiencing these days. We have let ourselves get trapped in discouragement and anxiety. May that get behind us. May we be stopped in those tracks. And, may we see with new eyes and hearts the path of courage and love and reunion God has made for us all. Amen

Sian
8 months ago

Good words of encouragement for the times we are living in. It seems as though everyone, including people of faith, is struggling with everyday life. There is more discouragement and lashing out over minor trials. This encourages me to keep on keeping on, to see how God will grow me in the midst of these difficult times. Thanks for these words.

Cheryl Mackey
8 months ago

This is beautiful and poignant, thank you!!

Lynda Hinze
8 months ago

I think I have been looking for this for the last 20 months since my husband passed away shortly after his lymphoma diagnosis. I question so many things including faith and found this to be remarkably inspiring and comforting. I struggle still with Who am I and Why am I here. Thank you for this blessing

6
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x