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“He has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.”
Psalm 66:9 (ESV)

When I lost my husband, it felt like I was walking on shaky ground. The love of my life and daddy to my kids would no longer be there, but I had to move forward. But I didn’t want to. I wanted to bask in the warmth of his love forever. It was such a beautiful love. Did I have to reinvent how to do this alone? And that was just my own shaky ground. My kids had their own trauma to contend with, having been there when his heart attack took him suddenly right before their eyes.

It was in those shaky moments that I realized what a gift my faith was. Somehow I never doubted that God would carry me. Psalm 66:9 (ESV) says,

“He has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.”

I knew that God wasn’t just keeping me steady—He was lifting me and carrying me through the toughest days. It wasn’t that everything suddenly got easier or that I knew the next step every day—far from it. There were financial worries, parenting challenges, and deep emotional wounds for me and my kids. But I knew we had a future, as uncomfortable as the journey would be.

Resting in God’s promise kept me sane during those early days of grief.

Life after loss isn’t about pretending everything is fine or moving on without scars. It’s about trusting that God is in control, even when it feels like everything is out of control. I certainly didn’t have all the answers after my husband passed, and I still face moments of doubt and uncertainty. But God has been faithful.

He preserved me for something more, even in the pain, and because of Him, I didn’t slip.

One of the hardest parts of grief is feeling like you need to rush forward—like you should have everything figured out. But God knows better. He knows that healing takes time. He knows exactly what you’re ready for. Just as He was patient with me, He is patient with you. He doesn’t expect you to have all the answers or to move through this season at some predetermined pace. Instead, He’s preserving you because He still has a plan for your life. He sees the future you can’t see yet, and He’s guiding you toward it, even when the way forward feels unclear or overwhelming.

Even when you don’t feel ready for it, remember you will eventually live, not just survive.

Even when I still felt I was in the darkest days, He was working for my good, preserving my life, and preparing me for the next chapter—one that may look different than what I imagined, but one filled with His purpose and presence.

And in the midst of it all, better get used to living not just existing, because He isn’t finished with you.

Lord, please show these sisters that You are calling them to more than survival— but to live fully, even through the grief. Amen