Since the release of my book, When Your World Ends: God’s Creative Process for Rebuilding a Life, I’ve had the incredible privilege of meeting so many of you. Through encouraging emails, doughnut dates, conference conversations, and heartfelt hugs after speaking engagements, I’ve listened to hundreds of your stories.
What strikes me most is the beautiful diversity of your journeys. One woman is drowning under the overwhelming weight of caring for her husband, who battles the debilitating effects of early-onset dementia. Another woman unexpectedly lost her job, which not only shattered her sense of security but also left her feeling insecure about her future. A man, six months sober, finally broke free from years of drowning his childhood trauma in alcohol, yet faces the haunting memories of his past and the daily challenge of rebuilding his life without the numbing comfort he once relied on.
Yet despite these different circumstances, I’ve noticed something profound: while each of you is traveling a different road, you’re all moving through the same process—God’s creative process for rebuilding a life.
Friend, when I wrote When Your World Ends, many assumed it was just for those grieving the death of a loved one. But God’s creative process isn’t limited to one type of ending. Your world can end in a thousand different ways, but His process of restoration remains beautifully consistent, even as it adapts to your unique situation.
Yet here’s the surprising truth: God’s creative process for rebuilding your life can hold us steady and heal our shattered hearts—no matter the cause. As I explain in these biblical principles of renewal don’t just apply to one form of loss or crisis; they apply to every form.
One Creative Process, Many Roads
Remember what God promised in Isaiah 43:19? “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
When life implodes, it can happen for any number of reasons—perhaps your child’s life choices break your heart, your spouse files for divorce, your business partner’s betrayal blindsides you, or a doctor drops a life-altering diagnosis in your lap. I’ve personally traversed multiple heartbreaks—divorce, two miscarriages, the sudden death of my husband, and job loss. Each road felt uniquely shattering, leaving me certain no one could truly grasp my private sorrow.
The beautiful truth is that God’s rebuilding process works the same way regardless of which wilderness you find yourself in. Whether your world ended through a death, a diagnosis, a divorce, or a dozen other devastating losses, His creative process remains unchanged: out of endings, He creates beginnings.
It’s like following a trusted recipe that works with different ingredients. The steps—acknowledging the loss, grieving what’s gone, surrendering to God’s timeline, embracing new possibilities—these remain constant. But the roads we travel while moving through these steps can look vastly different.
Not long after my second miscarriage, I found myself pacing the kitchen, my hand resting where a child should’ve been growing. It was in that desolate moment I recalled Joel 2:25—“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…” The Hebrew word for “restore” here, shalam, means “to make complete, repay, or fulfill.” Shalam became a promise that even if motherhood looked different than I’d planned, God could repay the fragmented pieces of my hopes, weaving them into something new.
Then, when I lost my husband, I feared no one really saw my grief. But Psalm 34:15 gently reminded me, “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.” In Hebrew, “eyes” is ayin, which conveys God’s loving attention. On the nights I woke up, arms stretched toward empty air, that verse whispered that God’s ayin was upon me—He not only heard my muffled cries but truly saw the private heartbreak I struggled to name.
I want you to know: I see you, and your pain matters. You don’t have to journey alone.
If you feel overlooked right now, please know you aren’t lost in the shadows. God’s ayin is on you, and He stands ready to shalam what pain has stolen. That’s precisely the heart of God’s creative process for rebuilding your life: He sees every wound and lovingly repairs each broken place. Even when your world feels irreparable, His redemptive power can bring about a future more whole and fulfilling than you ever imagined.
The Rebuilding Roadmap
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be exploring these different paths in a new series I’m calling “The Many Roads to Rebuilding.” This won’t just be confined to the blog—I’ll be diving deeper into each road through:
- Exclusive newsletter content for my subscribers with personal stories and biblical insights
- Social media series with bite-sized encouragement for each journey
- My new podcast launching this Spring where I’ll interview fellow travelers on each road
Let me give you a sneak peek at some of the roads we’ll be mapping together:
Unseen Hero Highway (For Caregivers) This is the road traveled by those whose love sustains others behind the scenes. If you’re caring for an aging parent, a special needs child, or a chronically ill spouse, you’re traveling this highway of hidden sacrifice. Your world ended when independence gave way to constant responsibility, and God’s Creative Process unfolds as you surrender your timeline and discover unexpected beauty in the midst of daily challenges.
Simplification Street (For Those Experiencing Burnout) This is a one-way road from chaos to calm, from too much to just enough. If you’ve burned out from overwork, overscheduling, or overachieving, you’re on this street. Your world ended when exhaustion finally caught up with you, and God’s Creative Process guides you through the necessary deaths of unrealistic expectations into the life-giving freedom of boundaries and rest.
Grace Grove (For Those Recovering from Addiction) This is a peaceful path where forgiveness blooms and shame gives way to hope. If you’re in recovery from substance abuse, unhealthy relationships, or destructive behaviors, you’re walking this grove. Your world ended when you finally admitted you couldn’t continue as you were, and God’s Creative Process works through each honest step of acknowledging, grieving, surrendering, and embracing a new identity.
Boundaries Boulevard (For Navigating Difficult Family Relationships) This is where loving limits meet Christ-centered responses. I found myself on this boulevard while caring for my 97-year-old mother and navigating relationships with two of my siblings—one communicating through icy silence, the other through bullying. If you’re trying to honor God while dealing with family tension that pushes you to your limits, you’re on this boulevard, too. Your world ended when you realized family relationships wouldn’t match your hopes and expectations, and God’s Creative Process teaches you that setting boundaries isn’t selfish—it’s essential for reflecting Jesus even when those closest to you challenge your peace.
Opportunity Overpass (For Those Facing Job Loss and Career Transitions) This elevated road appears when professional stability crumbles beneath your feet. I remember the sinking feeling when NASA changed its mission priorities—and my job wasn’t included. Years later, I faced job loss again while caring for my elderly mother. If you’ve experienced the free-fall of unemployment and the questions about paying bills and finding meaningful work that come with it, you’re on this overpass. Your world ended with a termination notice or company restructuring, but God’s Creative Process can transform what feels like a dead-end into a bridge to deeper faith, unexpected purpose, and even joy. Like James 1:2 challenges us, counting it all joy when you’ve lost your job can open doors you never imagined.
Courage Court (For Career Transitions) This is the road taken when your professional identity shatters—through job loss, forced retirement, or the brave decision to start over. Your world ended when what you did no longer defined who you are, and God’s Creative Process rebuilds your sense of purpose and worth beyond performance.
Healing Harbor (For Health Challenges) This is the sheltered bay where you dock when your body betrays you through illness, injury, or chronic conditions. Your world ended with a diagnosis or debilitating symptoms, and God’s Creative Process meets you in this new reality, transforming limitations into unexpected gifts.
Which Road Are You On?
Sweet friend, one of the most powerful steps in rebuilding is simply naming your road. There’s something incredibly validating about recognizing, “This is my particular journey. Others have walked it too. It has specific challenges and specific graces.”
Take a moment to consider: Which road resonates with your current season? Maybe it’s one I’ve mentioned, or perhaps you’re on an entirely different path—Reconciliation Road after relationship breakdown, Empty Nest Avenue after your children have gone, or Disillusionment Drive after church hurt.
Knowing your road doesn’t change the process, but it does help you prepare for the terrain ahead. It also helps you find fellow travelers who understand your specific journey while moving through the universal steps of God’s Creative Process.
Join Me On This Journey
I’d love for you to join me as we explore these roads together across different platforms:
- Subscribe to my newsletter for weekly deep dives into each road and exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else. [Sign up here]
- Follow me on social media where I’ll be sharing daily encouragement specific to each rebuilding journey. [Follow me here]
- Watch for my podcast launch this Spring where we’ll hear from real women walking these different roads. [Sign up for my newsletter to be among the first to know]
- Join the private Facebook community where you can connect with others traveling your same road. [Join here]
Walking Your Road with the Best Possible Companion
Here’s what I want you to know today: whatever road you’re on, the process remains the same, and you’re not walking it alone. God’s Creative Process works universally across every rebuilding journey. He’s intimately familiar with the particular potholes, the specific scenic overlooks, and the unique rest stops along your way.
When Jesus said, “I am the way” in John 14:6, He was declaring Himself as the ultimate path to restoration. He doesn’t just show us the way; He becomes the way beneath our feet—guiding us through His consistent process of making all things new.
This week, I encourage you to:
- Name your road. Acknowledge which rebuilding journey you’re on right now.
- Identify where you are in the process. Are you acknowledging, grieving, surrendering, or beginning to embrace something new?
- Find a fellow traveler. Reach out to someone walking a similar path.
- Trust the process. Remember that God’s Creative Process has worked for countless others on your same road.
All Roads, One Process, One Destination
No matter which rebuilding road you find yourself on today, know this—God’s Creative Process leads somewhere beautiful. The destination isn’t back to your old life. It’s forward to a new creation that honors what was while embracing what can be.
As 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This promise isn’t just for those grieving death—it’s for everyone experiencing any kind of ending. And the process of becoming that new creation follows the same divine pattern, regardless of what triggered your need for rebuilding.
I can’t wait to begin this journey with you across my blog, newsletter, social media, and soon, the podcast. For now, I’d love to hear from you. Which rebuilding road are you traveling? Where are you in God’s Creative Process? What’s been the hardest step for you?
Remember, dear one, your particular path may feel lonely at times, but God’s process remains steadfast. You’re part of a vast network of rebuilding journeys. And at the intersections, we find each other—fellow travelers understanding that while our roads differ, our process and destination remain the same: a rebuilt life filled with meaning, purpose, and the unmistakable fingerprints of a Creator who specializes in making all things new.
Until next time,
Agape—loving and loved by Jesus,
Dawn
