Loving God When Life Isn’t What We Hoped For
Life does not always turn out the way we expected. We carry disappointments, unanswered questions, and losses that still ache. Some seasons leave us lonely, dissatisfied, bored, misplaced, forgotten, or rejected.
My soul can love God while simultaneously grieving what it has lost.
That is not a failure of faith. It is an invitation to bring our whole life—the life we actually have—into the presence of God.
Watch the Shortened Message
In this eight-minute excerpt, Pastor Dave Garda follows Jesus into Gethsemane and offers a simple rhythm for living hard seasons with God.
It Is Honest to Admit What Our Soul Feels
Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that there is a season for everything: a time to laugh and a time to cry, a time to embrace and a time to turn away, a time to gain and a time to lose. The Bible never asks us to pretend every season feels good.
A helpful first question is: What is my soul saying right now?
Maybe I am carrying something nobody notices. Maybe I want something I cannot have. Maybe I am giving something up so someone I love can thrive. Maybe I am living with a decision I did not make.
Even Jesus Named His Grief
In Gethsemane, Jesus told his friends, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death.” Then he prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” —Matthew 26:38–39, NLT
A crushed soul is not an unfaithful soul.
Jesus did not deny what he felt. He named what his soul wanted, brought it honestly to his Father, released the outcome, and continued to live the story with God.
A Simple Way to Pay Attention to Your Soul
NAME IT → BRING IT → RELEASE IT → LIVE IT WITH GOD
NAME IT
Tell the truth about what hurts, what you miss, what you wish were different, and what you cannot change.
BRING IT
Bring that honest reality into God’s presence. Prayer is not pretending. It is learning to be truthful with the Father who already knows.
RELEASE IT
Release the outcome to God—not because the loss is small or because everything that happened was good, but because God can be trusted with what you cannot control.
LIVE IT WITH GOD
Some circumstances will not change quickly. Some may never change in the way we hope. But we do not have to live them alone.
Do Not Scold Your Soul—Pay Attention to It
Psalm 42 asks, “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?” The psalmist does not shame his soul for feeling sad. He listens to it, brings it into God’s presence, and then says, “I will put my hope in God!”
That is very different from saying, “Get over it,” “Everything happens for a reason,” “Someone else has it worse,” or “Just be thankful.” Those phrases often rush past the very place where God wants to meet us.
I do not have to call this good to live it with God.
There Is Still More Story to Live
God is not asking you to love him with the soul you wish you had or the soul you pretend to have. He invites you to love him with the soul you actually have.
You do not have to wait for a different life to live this one with Jesus.
There is still more story to live. Name what is true. Bring it to God. Release what you cannot control. Then live the next part of your story with him—and, when possible, with trusted friends who will pay attention to God with you.
Questions to Linger With
What is my soul saying right now?
What have I been afraid to name before God?
What do I need to release into his care?
Who can sit with me and pay attention to God in this season?
Soul Seasons — Part 1 • Pastor Dave Garda • September 20, 2026
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