There are no guarantees that we won’t face heartache and disappointment in life. But God guarantees that there is deep meaning in all the seasons of our life, and that grief can eventually give way to joy. This is reiterated in scripture, where in John 16:20, it says “You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” Whether we are grieving the loss of a person, or experiencing disappointment that we haven’t found what we’re looking for in life, God will find a way to bring us beauty from the ashes.  

Singer and songwriter Jimi Cravity is a two-time Dove Award nominee whose music has made its way into the hands of artists like Ludacris and Usher. Cravity faced the tragic loss of his son and made a stunning discovery about God and music during his deepest sadness. Leslie Means thought she was living her dream as a news anchor, but always felt that she was made for something more. With the encouragement of her husband Kyle, Leslie stepped away from her news job and went on to create an online community that helps women in times of need—Her View From Home—and found what she’d been meant to do all along. 

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

Jesus Calling Podcast

Jesus Calling

Jesus Always

Jesus Listens

Past interview: Luke Weaver

Upcoming interview: Chapel Hart

John 16:20 NIV

Jimi Cravity 

Ludacris 

Usher

The Last Amen

liver cancer

Potter's House at One L.A.

Revelations

Revelations 22:13-15 NIV

Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV

Leslie Means 

Her View From Home

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Houston Rockets

So God Made A Mother

Interview Quotes:

“Of course, as a parent, you never want to become a bereaved parent. You never want to deal with loss, but what I can say now on the other side is that God has given me beauty for ashes, that He's given me a garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness, that He has turned despair into dancing, and I'm thankful for that.” - Jimi Cravity

“I remember there were Sundays where all I could do was just go into the service and I would just go to the altar and kneel and weep. And it was in those moments that I felt very near to Christ, that I felt very near to God, that I felt the nearness of His Spirit, that I felt strength, that I felt Him in those moments of bowing and kneeling at the altar there.” - Jimi Cravity 

“The Bible says that God is near to those who are brokenhearted. And I think it's really clear to feel that when you feel blessed, when everything is going your way, when you feel like you're on top of the world–but it's challenging to feel that and remember that when you are experiencing loss and when you're experiencing some of the darkest days that you cou