For the days when joy feels impossible...
The timing of this is a little wild to me. If you read the piece about Shelly, about bruised hope and brokenness, about time taking time and new life poking through… this might feel slightly familiar—like the same heartbeat, but with different details from another author. The thing is, we didn’t plan it. I didn’t know what Asheritah would write and my piece was 100% written—but not yet published—when she sent this (below) my way. I do think there’s something to it, good reason to pause and slow, when God seems to start repeating. And so:
If you’re waiting, if you’re lonely, if it seems like grief won’t let go, if you know the truth but right now hope feels foolish, if the heaviness won’t lift, if it seems like this page of the story is never going to turn, if you’re wondering if God has forgotten you → This piece is for you. These pieces, perhaps. A gentle whisper in the form of a double reminder that you are seen, loved, and not alone.
Pun intended but also yes it’s true, it’s a delight to welcome Asheritah Ciuciu, author of Delighting in Jesus, to share here today. When I mentioned her newest book on IG Stories, y’all sent A LOT of DMs that all included a version of “this sounds like a message I really need right now” and so, of course, it became our next book club pick and All The Things author chat! There’s more info on that below, but first I’m honored to share this piece with you.
“Do You even hear me? Can you even see me?” The words came to mind unbidden as I poured out my grief on the pages of my journal. “Where are You, God? Why don’t You just fix this already? Why won’t You make this go away?”
Have you ever felt that way? Like no matter how much you trust God, the heaviness just won’t lift? The problem just doesn’t disappear? The wound refuses to heal?
Sorrow can feel like an unwelcome companion that lingers far longer than we expected, weighing us down when we thought we’d be strong enough to stand again. And in those moments, a quiet whisper creeps in: “I’ll never get over this. I should be handling this better. Why can’t I just move on?” Maybe for you, it’s a deep longing, an ache that won’t go away. A regret that replays in your mind. A grief that just won’t let go.
Our brokenness can often feel like a barrier between us and God. But what if our brokenness is the very place where Jesus wants to meet us in a brand new way?
If we want to know Jesus, to truly walk with Him in close friendship, then we must learn to lean into Him in both our joys and sorrows. As Paul wrote, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10).
I don’t know about you, but for years, I shied away from the second part of that verse. I want to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection, yes! For sure! But participate in His sufferings? Umm… I’ll pass?
But friend, in this broken world, we will all bear our share of suffering. We will have sorrow. Jesus says as much to His disciples on the night He was betrayed: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Truly, I’ve learned that we cannot experience the power of Jesus’ resurrection without first entering into the sorrow of His shared sufferings.
The Man of Sorrows knows what it’s like to be betrayed, rejected, hungry, tired, dejected, and alone. Jesus understands the weight of sorrow. He carried it, felt it, bore it in His body as He walked the road to the cross. He wept at the grave of His friend Lazarus, even though He knew resurrection was coming. Lament matters. The weight of our pain is not insignificant to Him.
And because He knows what it’s like to be truly human, Jesus welcomes us to come to Him to find help in our time of need. He is with us through the darkest valley and in the deepest abyss. When we don’t know what to pray, His own Spirit groans with us and for us. And His grip on us is so secure, that nothing can snatch us out of His hand or separate us from His presence.
Isaiah 53:5 reminds us: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
The wounds we carry can become the sacred spaces where Jesus meets us most intimately, where He whispers, “I see you. I am with you. You are loved.”
This is the paradox of the Gospel: that in our greatest weakness, we can experience His greatest strength. In our deepest sorrow, we can encounter His deepest love. In our agonizing pain, we can experience His peace. The places we wish away—our grief, our longing, our regrets—can become be the very places where He reveals Himself most profoundly.
What do we do with this then? In those moments when everything within us cries out, “Just make it stop, God!”?
We bring our grief, our regrets, our brokenness to Jesus, knowing that He will never turn away from our pain. Instead, He enters into it, holding us close and making even our sorrow a space for encountering His presence. We allow Him to do the work of healing in His time, trusting that even when we don’t see restoration yet, He is faithful to complete what He has started.
We fix our eyes on Jesus, even as we walk through suffering, because He knows what it’s like to suffer, and it’s from His presence that we draw strength:
“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:2-3)
It’s in our place of suffering that we discover this unique aspect of what it means to delight in the Lord—not jumping with exuberant joy, but quietly leaning into His embrace. This is why it’s possible for us to rejoice even in our suffering—not because we enjoy the pain, but because in the pain we experience the closeness and comfort of Jesus’ presence in a special way.
You are not forgotten. You are not disqualified. Even here, even now, Jesus sees you, carries you, and delights in you. His love is not waiting for you to “get over it” or “move on.” His love meets you right where you are, in the middle of the mess, and calls you beloved.
Jesus, I bring my brokenness to You today. Help me not to hide my sorrow but to see it as a sacred space where You long to meet me. Thank You for carrying my burdens and for offering Your own presence in my suffering. Help me trust in Your love today. Amen.
Not only did Jesus start His teaching ministry with this theme of true happiness, He ended with it too. The night before He was betrayed, on the hardest night of His life, He spoke to His disciples about joy: “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). Jesus is actually preoccupied with our joy… // Page 47
When someone writes about the tension of carrying hope and loss together—and does so without minimizing the truly painful places and difficult seasons, while holding to joy being our birthright—I’m here for it. More of that, please. I’m uninterested in cliches, I need honest hope and an anchor that holds. No thank you to slapping a band-aid on the things that have broken and calling it good. Hard pass on pretending joy and hope feel easy breezy all the time.
From the messages of All The Things subscribers, Delighting in Jesus has offered a deep breath in the deep and in the dark… a reminder that the wilderness is real but it won’t be our home forever, and the seeds sown and watered with tears will bring new life. A reminder that we haven’t been left, haven’t been forgotten, and haven’t lost our faith when we say we’re struggling. A reminder that we don’t need to stuff our sorrow or gloss over grief.
We’re seeing it and feeling it and saying yep, there it is. But it’s not all there is. Because that’s not where the story ends.
A week from today, Asheritah will join us on Zoom to talk through Delighting in Jesus… a book that invites us into the tension, into the wrestling, into discovering joy IN the muchness of our days and our lives. I hope you’ll join us for the call! If you’re already subscribed to All The Things, the Zoom info landed in your inbox yesterday. If you aren’t part of All The Things, you’re more than welcome to join any time! If you’re wondering what in the world I’m talking about → Hi, welcome to Good Things! I’m genuinely so glad you’re here.
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That said, I want you here, full stop. If you’re part of ATT, thank you wildly. My heart and hope is that it always feels so well worth it. But if it’s not the right fit or it’s not in the budget, I very much understand, and I absolutely mean it when I say: thank you for inviting me into your inbox. I don’t take that lightly, and I hope Good Things meets you right where you are with encouragement, hope, and a smile or two from the Thursday Things round-ups.
The article above is written by Asheritah Ciuciu, bestselling author, host of the Prayers of REST podcast, and creator of the 60-second devotional personality quiz. A Romanian missionary kid, she’s passionate about helping people around the world enjoy Jesus through creative spiritual habits. Her newest book, Delighting in Jesus: Rhythms to Restore Joy When You Feel Burdened, Broken, or Burned-Out, is available wherever books are sold. Connect with Asheritah on Instagram for more encouragement and free resources.