Grief has a way of shaking everything we thought was steady. When the phone call comes, the diagnosis lands, or the unthinkable happens, it can feel like the ground beneath us gives way. For some of us, loss doesn’t just break our hearts; it breaks our trust in God, in people, and even in ourselves. Finding hope after loss can seem impossible.
At Abundant Life, we believe Jesus meets us right there—in the questions, the anger, and the numb spaces we don’t know how to fix. Brady Withers shares his story of walking through unimaginable loss, finding faith, and discovering that God had been pursuing him the whole time. Our prayer is that as you read, you’ll see that you’re not alone, and that there is always a next step of faith, even when you feel like you have nothing left to give.
Unexpected Loss and Questioning God
I was raised in the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was an active member for most of my life. I slowly started not attending services 10 years ago and had resigned myself to not having religion in my life.
In October 2022, two days before my wedding, my oldest sister passed away unexpectedly. She was only 51. Our honeymoon was her funeral; it was such an enormous and unexpected loss. The grief was so heavy and heartbreaking. Watching my parents suffer and carry such a huge burden was unimaginable. The grief slowly turned into bitterness and anger. I spent the next nine months trying everything I could to ruin relationships and self-destruct, while those around me wondered what had happened to the man they knew.
The following July, my wife Lisa and I traveled back to Utah to launch a business. While we were there, our 11-year-old niece tragically passed away from Leukemia. Her treatment and battle with Leukemia lasted for 5 years. Watching a child suffer so much and then pass away added to my grief, hurt, and anger. I questioned everything and blamed everyone — God included — for the losses Lisa and I had endured the previous nine months.
An Invitation That Changed Everything
When Lisa and I arrived back in Kansas City, my mood became increasingly dark, finally culminating in a moment where I was genuinely lost. I said to Lisa, “I think we need to go to church.” We learned about Abundant Life through our neighbor, June, who had shared some of Pastor Phil’s messages with us. We knew we had a standing invitation to go to church with her, so I picked up the phone late one Saturday night to call her. When she answered, I told her I wanted to go to church sometime in the next few weeks. Her response changed the trajectory of our lives:
“I’ll meet you out in front of your house at 10:45 tomorrow, and we will get brunch after.”
It was settled; we were going to church.
Walking into Abundant Life for the first time was scary. Having attended formal church services all my life and then seeing a band and a large congregation was intimidating. That all changed as soon as the worship leader started singing “Same God.” The music stirred me and a comforting feeling I can’t quite describe washed over me. The sermon that day talked about how God is with you all the time, whether you are hurt, alone, in a hospital room, or grieving the loss of a loved one. I began to wonder if finding hope was possible after all the loss.
Taking Next Steps and Meeting Jesus
The next evening, we purchased a Bible for both of us. Over the next few weeks, we attended First Step, then Next Steps Class, and then I hit a point where I wasn’t sure God was listening. Lisa convinced me to go to one more sermon, and the guest speaker that day preached on what to do on the worst day of your life.
There it was. I felt like I had been living the worst day of my life for a year. I listened and I wept. I felt the anger leave; the grief remained, but the anger was gone. At the end of the sermon, he asked everyone to bow their heads and raise their hands if they wanted to accept Jesus. I felt like he specifically called me to accept Jesus. I hesitated and looked at Lisa, her hand in the air, her life committed to Jesus. I raised my hand, and nothing has been the same since.
It’s incredible to think of the people God put in our lives leading up to that moment: our neighbor June inviting us to church, Pastor Toshaun and Pastor Phil at First Step, and countless other people who prayed with and for us. I often shake my head at the “coincidences” that kept pointing us to God and to Abundant Life. He is a God of miracles.
Learning That It All Belongs to God
Growing up Mormon, I saw my parents tithe often and give generously of their time and money. I appreciated their example and the lessons they taught me about paying a tithe. However, it fostered a works-based mentality toward giving. I learned that I had to tithe for my salvation, and when I didn’t, I felt a great weight of shame and guilt. I was judged for the amount I paid, and any mention of tithing or giving would lead to conflict.
Lisa and I have always had a heart for helping others, but our mindset toward generosity was different before coming to Abundant Life. We saw our time as ours, our money as ours.
The A-Life Discipleship Journey has changed our mindset completely. We made a commitment to the A-Life because we understood that all we have is because of God. We love supporting the ways Abundant Life is pushing the gospel forward. We’ve served at the Prison Ministry, in Kids Ministry, and we’ve dedicated time to help build the Milestone Ministry downtown. God has increased our capacity to do more both through financial giving and opportunities to volunteer. We have found that our marriage is stronger and we are more joyful when our hearts are turned to helping others.
At Abundant Life, we define generosity as “giving away what God has given us,” and we’ve seen that play out in our lives. It’s at the core of everything we are now. Our conversations around giving and serving aren’t “Well we better, or else.” Instead, we look at each other and say, “How can we not give when we’ve been blessed so much?”
Encouragement to Pursue Generosity and Faith
Giving your time and money to the church helps people come to Jesus. This requires faith and trust that God will use your generosity to care for those who need it. It also takes a commitment on your end. When you volunteer in the local church, you get to see how your kingdom dollars are impacting lives for eternity. Faith is the first step; acting on it is the next.
Dropping our A-Life commitment card in the box for the first time was terrifying, but when I look back, God has given us so much. He has provided for us, taken care of us, and sheltered us when we were completely broken. How can I not give back and help people find that same peace we have?
Trust God even with a little. You will be amazed at what He can do in your life. When you give generously, you will find a different happiness. It’s not fleeting; it is truly soul-fulfilling. You may wonder if what you do or give is enough and if it even matters. Trust me, it does.
What Is Your Next Step?
If you’re carrying grief, disappointment, or questions you don’t know how to answer, you’re not alone. God is not afraid of your story, your doubts, or your pain. Just like He met Lisa and Brady in their grief, pain, and questioning, He wants to meet you.
Maybe your next step is as simple as showing up to a weekend service, talking with someone at First Step, or picking up a Bible again. You don’t have to have it all figured out to take one small step toward Jesus. Our hope is that as you do, you’ll believe that God really is with you, He really is a God of miracles, and He can bring hope and healing even out of the deepest grief.