When Life Shatters: Finding God in Our Darkest Moments
Some moments in life break us wide open. One decision, one mistake, one turn we wish we could take back—suddenly, life as we knew it is gone.
If you’ve ever wrestled with regret, shame, or the overwhelming question of why, then this week’s episode of CHRISTIAN PARENT/CRAZY WORLD is for you.
I had the privilege of sitting down with Jennifer Eikenhorst for one of the most powerful conversations I’ve had on CP/CW, or anywhere else. Jen is a wife, mother, teacher, and woman of deep faith who faced something most of us can’t imagine. A simple left turn resulted in a tragic accident that took the life of an innocent man. In an instant, she was thrust into the kind of pain, guilt, and questioning that can easily consume a person.
How do you live with yourself after something like that? How do you keep breathing when the weight of guilt and grief is unbearable?
Most of us won’t experience this exact situation, but we all know what it’s like to carry regret. We all wonder why God allows certain things to happen. And sooner or later, we all have to wrestle with whether we will choose shame—or grace.
Wrestling with the ‘Why’
When tragedy strikes—whether through our own actions or something completely outside our control—our first instinct is to ask why.
Why would God allow this?
Why didn’t He stop it?
Why do I have to carry this pain?
But in this conversation, I was reminded that most of the time, we never get an answer to the “why”—and that’s one of the hardest realities of our faith. Yet, even when we don’t understand why, we can trust who. We have a God who walks with us through suffering, who weeps with us, and who offers redemption in ways we can’t yet see.
Grace That’s Hard to Accept
One of the biggest battles we face is learning to receive the grace that God freely offers. We say we believe in forgiveness, but when it comes to ourselves? That’s where it gets hard. Jen had to make a choice: she could live in condemnation, or she could step into the mercy of God.
But grace is costly. It demands that we lay down our shame. It requires us to surrender the story we tell ourselves—the one that says we’re too far gone, too broken, too unworthy. And it calls us to extend that same grace to others, even when we feel they don’t deserve it.
Takeaways from this conversation:
🔹 God Will Heal Us, But We Must Choose Him – Shame isolates, but grace restores. No mistake is too great for God’s mercy.
🔹 Teaching Our Kids Grace and Responsibility – Our children will make mistakes. How we respond teaches them whether failure will define them or faith will transform them.
🔹 The Weight of ‘Why’ and the Power of ‘Who’ – We may never understand why tragedies happen, but we can trust who walks with us through them.
🔹 Receiving and Extending Grace – Just as we long for mercy, we are called to extend it—to ourselves and to others.
🔹 Creating a Culture of Refuge – In biblical times, cities of refuge were places of safety for those who unintentionally caused harm. How can we make our homes and communities places of grace instead of judgment?
🎧 LISTEN NOW: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart
A Call to Reflection
What shame are you carrying that God is waiting to heal? Are you willing to release it and receive His grace?
And who in your life needs to experience the refuge of forgiveness today?
This episode is one of the most powerful I’ve ever had the privilege of hosting, and I don’t want you to miss it. Click on the image below to listen on Life Audio:
Or you can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please consider giving CP/CW a 5-star rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify. That would make my day!
🔹 Memorable Quotes from this episode:
“We have to be willing to listen for His voice, to be seeking Him. So even when we’re angry, even when we don’t understand… that we are still pointing to Him and saying, ‘I want see you Lord. I want to see you. I want to hear you and I want to feel you through this tragedy’.” Jen Eikenhorst
“When it comes to tragedy, we seldom know the why, but we do know the who. We know who walks with us through the dark nights of the soul.” Catherine Segars
Take the Next Step:
- Listen to the episode now. It will change the way you see what’s happening in your relationships.
- We all know someone who is struggling in their marriage and parenting. Share it with someone who needs to hear it.
- Hit reply and let me know your thoughts. How is this conversation impacting you? What questions do you have? I’d love to hear from you.
EPISODE RESOURCES:
About the Guest: Jennifer Eikenhorst is a mother of four, teacher, and faith-driven speaker whose life was forever changed by a tragic accident. In the aftermath, she found purpose in sharing hope and healing with others facing accidental loss. As the author of Left Turn: Life Unimagined and host of the Accidental Hope podcast, Jen offers a compassionate space for those navigating grief and guilt. She also serves on the advisory council for the Hyacinth Fellowship, supporting those who have unintentionally caused harm. Her journey is a powerful testament to God’s grace, redemption, and the resilience of faith.
Jen’s Book: Left Turn: Life Unimagined
“What Happens When You Accidentally Take Someone’s Life” Red Table Talk w/ Jada Pinkett Smith
“What Were the Cities of Refuge in the Bible” (BibleAsk, 6/18/24)
“What Were the Cities of Refuge in the Old Testament” (Got Questions)
