July 12, 2025

Hope for When You Can't Fix What Feels Broken

Show Notes

Episode [X]: Hope for When You Can't Fix What Feels Broken

Show Notes

Episode Summary

Has your heart ever felt so broken that you didn't know how you were going to move forward? In this deeply personal episode, Michelle shares a story from her book Promised Hope about a season when her heart felt completely shattered - and what God did in that broken place.

If you're struggling with overwhelming heartbreak, whether from recent tragedies like the devastating Texas floods, personal loss, church hurt, or circumstances that feel impossible, this episode offers hope and a path forward when everything feels unfixable.

What You'll Hear in This Episode

The Kitchen Table Story Michelle shares the raw reality of resigning from her job as Director of Christian Education just one month after her wedding, and how she and her husband Troy processed overwhelming grief by walking circles around their farmhouse kitchen table.

When Everything Falls Apart at Once Sometimes life doesn't give us just one devastating blow - it's tragedy upon tragedy. Michelle explores what happens when we're carrying not just our own heartbreak, but the pain of an entire community (over 200 people left their church during this season).

The Fog of Grief What it really feels like when you're "trying to wade through deep fog" and don't know how to move forward. Michelle describes the physical and emotional weight of compound grief.

God me them in Worship How God met them week after week at a sister church through His Word, the Lord's Supper, and a loving pastor who told them "you'll know when you're ready to serve again."

"Mended" - A Prayer for the Brokenhearted Michelle closes with a beautiful prayer she wrote years later about bringing our brokenness to God's house and leaving mended by His gifts of hope, love, joy, grace, peace, and strength.

Key Quotes from This Episode

"We kept stumbling into the same painful realization: we couldn't fix anything."

"We can't mend our own broken hearts. We try - we pace, we overthink, we cling to control - but the pieces won't fit back together by our own hands."

"God is the giver, and you're the receiver. You can go to the Lord's house just as you are."

Why This Episode Matters Right Now

With recent tragedies like the Texas flooding that took the lives of precious children at Camp Mystic, many of us are carrying heartbreak that feels too heavy to bear. This episode speaks to anyone who:

Feels overwhelmed by current events and personal circumstances
Is processing church hurt or spiritual trauma
Has experienced multiple losses or "compound grief"
Wonders where God is in the midst of overwhelming pain
Needs permission to simply receive (not serve) during a difficult season
Is looking for hope when everything feels broken

Scripture References

Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden..."
Psalm 34:18 - "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted..."

Resources Mentioned

Books:

Connect with Michelle:

Discussion Questions for Small Groups

Have you ever experienced a season where multiple heartbreaking things happened at once? How did you process those emotions?
Michelle describes feeling like she was "wading through deep fog." What metaphor would you use to describe overwhelming grief?
What does it mean that "God is the giver and we are the receivers" in worship? How might this perspective change how we approach church when we're hurting?
Michelle and Troy had to learn to simply receive rather than serve during their healing season. Why is this often difficult for Christians?
How can the church better support people who are carrying "compound grief" or multiple heartbreaks?

Takeaways

It's okay to not know how to move forward when your heart is shattered
Sometimes we need to simply receive God's gifts rather than try to serve
God meets us in worship even when all we bring is our brokenness
Healing happens in community, not isolation
Our broken places can become our most beautiful offerings