Hope in the Ashes: Trusting What You Cannot Yet See
I met Sarah in an online writers group. And over the weeks of sharing our book publishing journeys, we found we had a lot in common. I know that many of you will resonate with Sarah’s story and benefit from her hope-filled words. I invited Sarah to write this blog post for me, and I invite you to order Sarah’s book and be encouraged by her gentle reminder of God’s unending faithfulness through the unexpected valleys of life.
As a little girl, I remember playing with friends, imagining what our adult lives would be like. For me, this ideal included a husband, two kids, a white picket fence, and a dog. I’d be a teacher, we’d spend our weekends at the ball fields, and my family would be at church every time the doors were open. That may sound simple, but it’s the truth.
So, when my dream life didn’t turn out according to plan, and I was suddenly a divorced, single mother, I felt overwhelming disappointment and grief. Life suddenly felt barren. Everything felt stripped away.
But God…
God did not leave me in the ashes of a dream that once burned brightly but now fizzled out. Instead, He met me there. He lovingly reminded me time and again that ashes are evidence that something burned, but not proof that nothing remains. Ashes don’t mean the story is over. They mean something has ended — and something new may be beginning beneath the surface.
Isaiah 61:3 tells us He will, “...bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.” So, what if the seasons of disappointment and grief are evidence of God doing a deeper work within us?
In Even the Ashes Bloom, I share what God taught me in my season of loss as I waited among the ashes for the beauty to bloom.
“But restoration isn’t just eventual—it’s promised. God is already working, even if all you see today are thorns and brambles. It takes time to cultivate. It requires pruning, tending, and patience. This is the kind of restoration that doesn’t just replace what was lost—it redefines it. Trust that hidden underneath what looks barren, seeds are being planted. Roots are taking hold. A harvest is coming—one you can’t yet imagine, but one that He has already prepared.” [1]
Roots grow deep before the fruit appears. To trust a harvest is coming doesn’t mean there will be immediate relief. It means God is not idle. He is intentional. And sometimes what grows looks nothing like what we lost, but is something stronger, something better.
If you’re standing in the ashes right now, wondering if anything good could possibly grow from this place, here is the encouragement I want to offer you: keep showing up. Keep praying, even when your words feel dry and your heart feels tired. Keep planting small seeds of obedience—choosing integrity, choosing forgiveness, choosing trust, one quiet decision at a time. Let your roots deepen beneath the surface, even if you don’t see fruit yet. Growth is often hidden before it is visible. You don’t have to manufacture change or force results. You don’t have to strive your way into bloom. You simply remain planted. God is faithful with the part you cannot see.
Reflection Questions
Where in your life does everything feel barren right now?
What expectations may have “burned down” in this season?
What unseen roots might God be developing in you?
What would it look like to trust that a harvest is already prepared?
How can you stay connected to Christ while you wait?
Pray
Lord,
Help me to trust you in the seasons that feel barren or burned down.
Let me rest in knowing you are still at work. May I hold onto hope beyond the present evidence of growth as I surrender to your timing and your will.
Bring peace in the waiting, and hope for the future.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The message of hope in the ashes runs throughout Even the Ashes Bloom. If you are walking through a season that feels stripped bare, this book was written as a companion for that journey — a reminder that what looks barren may simply be the beginning of something God is growing beneath the surface.
[1] Sarah S. Brown, Even the Ashes Bloom (Hope*Books, 2026), 32.
Sarah S. Brown is a Christian author and speaker who helps women anchor their identity in Christ and find renewed confidence through life’s hardest seasons. A former teacher, she contributed to Hope for the Holidays, A Year of Hope, and bestseller Stories of Good Grief, Vol.2. Sarah was named a Woman of Influence by the Nashville Business Journal. Her book, Even the Ashes Bloom, invites readers on a faith-filled journey from brokenness to spiritual renewal. Sarah lives in Tennessee with her husband and two sons and believes strong coffee and shared stories can change the world.
For more encouragement and resources from Sarah, visit her at:
