Embracing Grace in Hard Times When Life Overwhelms and Expectations Shatter
Can I tell you something that might surprise you? Even as someone who loves Jesus, walking through hard seasons doesn’t come easy. I think a lot of us imagine that following God somehow means things will fall into place. But embracing grace in hard times isn’t about smooth sailing or perfect outcomes. It’s much simpler and much messier than that.
Let me set the scene. Maybe you’ve been there too: Life feels heavy. You’re carrying the weight of things you never asked for, expectations fell apart, and the only thing you feel is spent. Sound familiar? You are not alone. In our Finding God in Hard Times: How Grace and Faith Carry Us Through podcast, we tackled this exact question. What does it look like to receive God’s grace right in the middle of overwhelming circumstances? And how do we stop striving and let His grace actually fill us?
What Does Embracing Grace in Hard Times Look Like?
Here’s the thing. When life unravels, a lot of us try to fix, hustle, or achieve our way back to some sense of control. For me, I’ve found that rarely works. Embracing grace in hard times means letting go of trying to hold every piece together. In our Building Christian Community: Support During Adversity, my friend shared how shattered expectations left her feeling like all her ‘jars and buckets’ had been smashed. She described moments where she was just trying to catch any good thing, but couldn’t hold onto a single blessing.
Maybe you relate to that, as Christian Support in Crisis shows. Sometimes it feels like we’re so broken down by disappointment that even the good things slip through our fingers Gratitude Practices for Healing. But what if, right there in the middle of the mess, God is offering us grace instead of pressure? Not a to-do list, not a guilt trip, but a deep breath and an invitation to rest, as shown in Trusting God Through Waiting. Embracing grace in hard times is exactly that—trading anxiety for stillness, even when everything isn’t fixed yet.
Letting Go of the Weight You’re Not Meant to Carry
How many of you have ever clung tightly to old expectations? I’ll be honest, surrender isn’t my first instinct. But I’m learning—the more I try to carry, the heavier I feel. In this season, I’m asking God, “What do I really have to carry today?” The answer is often so much less than I expected.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Am I holding onto something God has asked me to set down?
- Are my own expectations stacking up in ways that feel impossible?
- Is it time to stop striving and receive support—whether from God, my community, or just sitting at his feet?
Real grace begins when we choose to stop performing and allow ourselves to just be loved, right in the middle of the mess.
When Expectations Shatter: Giving Yourself Permission to Pause
Can I be vulnerable with you? I’ve had seasons where everything fell apart. Not just the small stuff—but the foundational things I thought would always hold. Relationships. Community. My own sense of purpose. What’s wild is that I looked around and realized I was expecting myself to keep going, keep cleaning up, keep showing up like nothing had changed.
But God’s invitation in embracing grace in hard times often looks like a holy pause. In the podcast, we talked about how it’s not always time to “get up and move on” after loss. Sometimes grace says, “You’re allowed to sit down for a while.” You don’t lose your calling or your value just because you’re in a season of healing.
It’s Okay to Sit in the Ashes for a While
I remember a friend once telling me, “You’re still a beloved daughter, even when you’re sitting in the ashes.” That stuck with me. We want to believe healing means quick comebacks and bouncing back with energy. But so often, God meets us by sitting down beside us, holding our hand, and saying, “I’m not going anywhere. Take your time.”
Maybe that’s exactly what you need to hear today. You don’t have to do more, be more, or hurry through the pain to be loved. Sometimes, the most grace-filled thing you can do in hard times is simply let yourself pause and acknowledge that it hurts. And in the quiet, you’ll find Him there.
Practical Ways to Start Embracing Grace in Hard Times
You might be wondering—how do I actually do this? What does embracing grace in hard times really look like in my week, when I still have dinner to make and bills to pay? Let me share a few things I’m learning, from both my own journey and our podcast conversation.
Start Small: Adjust Your Expectations
The definition of disappointment is an unmet expectation. Isn’t that so simple? When we expect ourselves or others to carry the same weight in every season, we’re setting ourselves up to feel overwhelmed. Ask the Lord if there’s anything you need to set down right now. Is it a commitment, a habit, or even an old dream that no longer fits?
It doesn’t mean you stop caring or let go of values. Sometimes embracing grace in hard times is just admitting it’s time to change what’s on your plate for a while. That’s faith, not failure.
Worship and Gratitude: The Simple Stuff Matters
One of the easiest ways I’ve found to let grace in is through worship. Maybe you heard us talk about this in the episode—sometimes, when words run out, all I have is a “hallelujah.” That’s enough. Turning on a song, singing in the car, or just whispering a prayer of gratitude helps re-center my heart. There’s a reason Psalm 28:7 (CSB) says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart celebrates, and I give thanks to him with my song.”
Worship lifts us out of our heads and refocuses our spirits. You don’t need perfect circumstances to praise God. In fact, sometimes the mess is the perfect place to start.
Allow Yourself to Receive
Here’s something I didn’t always do well. I thought grace meant I had to keep giving even when I was running dry. That isn’t what God asks of us. Sometimes overflowing actually looks like allowing others to give. In my hardest seasons, I was surrounded by people who blessed me with things I didn’t even know I needed. Accepting that help—that’s an act of embracing grace in hard times, too.
Maybe there are people in your life who want to support you. Let them. Let God use them. Trust His timing to bring what you need often in ways you never expected.
How to Keep Moving From Overwhelmed to Overflowing
Life is full of shifting seasons. Some days, embracing grace in hard times feels like a battle. Other days, it’s as simple as breathing in God’s peace. Here’s what I keep coming back to: Your worth isn’t measured by your productivity or your ability to “bounce back.”
If you catch yourself feeling pressure to keep going, to keep doing, ask yourself: Am I letting God’s grace carry me, or am I trying to pick up all the pieces alone?
Let God Fill the Empty Places
I’ve seen this again and again. When I finally stop chasing after what I can produce and invite God’s grace to fill me up, the overflow starts to happen—not always quickly or in the way I expected, but always with kindness. He brings the right people, the right resources, the right encouragement at just the right time. Sometimes, that’s through a friend. Sometimes through a song. Sometimes through a moment of quiet when it’s just me and the Lord.
Embracing grace in hard times isn’t a one-time fix. It’s a daily choice. We keep our eyes on Him. We let others in. We step back when we need rest. And, little by little, that’s how the overflow comes.
Encouragement for You: Embracing Grace Today
Can I encourage you as we wrap up? You don’t have to clean up your life before you can walk in God’s favor. You don’t have to be strong all the time. If you’re in a season where expectations are shattered and life feels overwhelming, you are exactly where His grace can pour in.
Take a breath. Lift your hands if you want—or just whisper one word, “Jesus.” He sees you, He hears you, and He is with you today. You have not missed it. Your story is not over. We get to keep showing up together and finding new strength for each day, side by side.
If today’s encouragement helps, I invite you to listen to our full podcast episode for more stories and wisdom from real life. And if you need someone to sit in the ashes with you (hand to heart), our community is right here. Let’s keep practicing how to embrace grace in hard times, together.
Looking for more practical faith encouragement? Check out our previous episode on hearing God’s voice, or dig into blog posts about finding hope when you feel stuck. We’re all in this journey together.
