When God Says No: Holding On to Faith When the Answer Hurts
🌿 Have you ever prayed with everything in you—for healing, for a miracle, for your child—and still heard no?
If so, you’re not alone.
🎙️ This week’s Best Of episode on Christian Parent / Crazy World speaks directly to that sacred, heart-wrenching space.
Two years ago, I had a conversation on the podcast that deeply impacted me. I remember sitting across from this courageous parent as he shared how his firstborn daughter was given a life-changing diagnosis—and how his world fell apart. 💔 It triggered a 4-year struggle with depression, grief, and questions for Andy Howard that have no easy answers.
But in the midst of that darkness… God met him.
And friends… God spoke.
He didn’t bring the miracle this father begged for—but He brought something else. Something deeper.
✨ A message that still gives me chills when I listen to it.
I just revisited this episode as I prepared to re-air it—and it blessed me all over again.
I needed it. Maybe you do, too.
💬 In this conversation, we talk honestly about:
• 🤍 How to wrestle with an answer from God that we didn’t want
• 😔 What to do when others receive their miracle and we don’t
• 🙏 How to cling to faith when the heavens feel silent
• 🌷 And how God can bring beauty out of what broke us
📌 This is the first part of a two-part conversation. Be sure to tune in next week for the powerful conclusion, where we talk about how this family has seen redemption unfold, how their daughter is doing today, and what we as the Church can do to better support families with special needs.
It’s one of the most profound testimonies I’ve shared on the podcast—and it’s definitely worth hearing again.
🎉 Exciting News! 🎉
I’m thrilled to share that Christian Parent / Crazy World took top prize 🏆 at the Selah Awards for Best Interview Podcast at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference! 🎙️✨
WOO-HOO!!! God is so good!
This honor is especially meaningful because I pour my heart into each of these conversations—asking tough questions, holding space for vulnerability, and exploring what it really looks like to parent through the chaos with Christ at the center. 💛
🙏 Thank you for listening, for sharing, and for supporting this mission!
🗓 A Quick Programming Note
This summer and fall I will have plenty of new episodes for you to enjoy, but I’ll be re-airing some of my best and most impactful episodes from the archive. With over 150 episodes now and a half a million downloads (can you believe it?!), I have a treasure trove of truth to pull from—stories that continue to encourage and equip Christian parents like you.
Why the reruns?
I’m currently working on a brand-new book 📚 about motherhood and our culture (yep… I’m going there, more on that soon!), and as every wise parent knows, we have to carve out space to steward big assignments well.
I’m committed to giving my kids—and this book—and CP/CW—the time and focus they all deserve. 👩👧👦
But I have many amazing new episodes already recorded and some phenomenal interviews scheduled that I can’t wait to share with you. So stay tuned! 🎧
🎧 This Week’s Episode: When God Says No (click on the image to listen on Life Audio):
Or you can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
📖 Scriptures to Reflect On:
Matthew 11:6 | Job 13:15 | Isaiah 61:1–4
I’m so grateful for your continued support of Christian Parent / Crazy World. 💌
Let’s keep seeking God together—in the crazy, in the quiet, and in the answers we didn’t expect.
About Andy Howard:
For over 20 years, Andy Howard has served in ministry as a youth pastor and marriage ministry pastor. A passionate advocate for mental health awareness, Andy has personally walked through the valley of depression—at one point tipping the scales at 345 lbs. as he tried to cope with family trauma through food. But God had more in store.
Together with his wife Tiffany, Andy has lost over 350 lbs. combined and co-founded a transformational health coaching business called Taking Back My Life, helping thousands reclaim physical and emotional wellness. Andy is the host of the When Words Don’t Come Easy podcast and author of a book by the same name. He lives in Bryan, Texas with Tiffany and their three beautiful daughters: Payton, Parker, and Presley.
Resources Mentioned:
- Andy’s WEBSITE
- Andy’s podcast: When Words Don’t Come Easy
- Andy’s book: When Words Don’t Come Easy
- Catherine’s episode on Andy’s podcast: From Grief to Redemption: Catherine Segars’ Powerful Story of Faith, Love, and Redemption
- CPCW Episode 66: “How Can A Good God Allow So Much Evil and Suffering in the World?” (w/ Dr. Douglas Groothuis)
Scriptures Referenced:
- Matthew 11:6
- Job 13:15
- Isaiah 61:1-4
