Grief & Perfectionism: Allowing God to Father Us

I loved sitting down with Dr. Iona Popa on the Thriving in Christ podcast to talk about one of the questions that haunted me through my darkest seasons: in the midst of suffering and grief, is it God's will or my will? Is it my fault? After losing my father as a teenager and later walking through the pain of infertility, I found myself wrestling with these very questions. What I've learned—and what I shared with Iona—is that these either/or questions often trap us in a cycle of shame and confusion when what we really need is to lean into God's comfort and presence. My life verse, 2 Corinthians 1:4, has become my anchor: "God comforts us in all of our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." This truth transformed my understanding of both my pain and my purpose.

During our conversation, I opened up about my journey from brokenness to discovering genuine joy and peace—not by bypassing the grief, but by walking through it with God. We explored how science, psychology, and faith aren't competing forces but beautiful partners in understanding how God has designed us to heal and thrive. I also shared practical wisdom about how to regenerate daily when perfectionism threatens to grip us, and we talked through a simple prayer that I believe every listener will want to write down. If you're struggling to pray in the midst of pain or wondering whether God is punishing you, I hope this conversation reminds you that His heart toward you is always comfort, always love, and always purpose—even when the path forward feels unclear.