I recently read a novel that had this line in it, “endings make way for new beginnings“. My mind drifted back to that afternoon when I felt the gut punch of knowing my marriage of twenty four years was over. Now reading that sentence years later with the clarity of hindsight, I thought of so many beginnings that came about because of that ending. I saw very clearly that an event that felt like my life was ending, actually allowed me to embrace something new, different, and even more life-giving.

Endings come in many forms including illness, the loss of loved ones, broken relationships, employment transitions, and relocations. The common thread in all of these is that for a moment, or a period of time, we feel what it is like to live without hope. I imagine that each of us experiences endings differently. When our trust in God and people takes a hit, and our belief that it will all work out in the end gets shattered, it is easy to totally let go of hope.

Some people never get that hope back. The ending that happened might have been too much for them, and they never allow themselves to get over it. Stuck in a cycle of hopelessness and despair, a person can keep on living as if the ending they experienced is the thing that is most true about them. I did not want to be one of those people, and I hope that you don’t want to be either.

1. We have to allow the new beginning to happen

In that moment of clarity as I read that line in the novel, I also saw that I could have chosen to not allow a new beginning. God was there in every ending I have experienced and offered to be the One who would lift my head up, but I had to give Him permission to do so.

When we find ourselves in hopeless situations, in the endings that look the most indescribably bleak, God is with us even then, offering us a way through and out, “a shield around us, our glory, and the One who lifts our heads high.” (Psalm 3:3 NIV). He will not be that for us if we don’t give Him permission to, if we don’t trust Him to.

2. We have to choose what we believe

An ending, whether sudden or not, forces us to make a decision about what we truly believe. Does it make us think that God has abandoned us, and so, we will in turn walk away from Him? Or, do we believe that even here in this terrible moment, God is still with us and is watching over us? Will we bat away His outstretched hand of His presence, and instead choose to walk in the opposite direction, or will we reach for that hand, even though we don’t understand how He could have allowed this to happen?

In the loss, in the ending, there is a huge decision that each one of us gets to make: what will we do when an ending challenges our faith? Will we choose God even here, or will we go another way?

3. Hope can return

If we hold on to God, to His promise to always be with us, and to work out all things for our good, this verse becomes true for the tumultuous path that loss takes us on: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’ (Isaiah 30:21 NIVUK)

Walking from an ending toward a beginning can feel more like trudging. We are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel, but as hope slowly returns, it’s more like God starts to bathe us in soft light right where we are. And at some point on the journey to find our new life after loss, we realize that the light is there at our feet, just right where we need it. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. (Psalms 119:105 NLT).

If we choose God, hope will return to us, and a new beginning will start to take shape: We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:3-5 NLT)

Prayer for your journey

My prayer for you is that you will choose the God of life and hope, even as you face an ending that the enemy meant to take you out with. Here is a prayer of surrender you can use if you’re finding the words difficult to come by.

“My Lord and my God, I feel stripped of all comfort, and the light I once felt has faded to darkness. I do not understand this path, but I offer you my will. Take away my attachments, my need to control, and my restless desires. Though I cannot feel your presence, I choose to rest in your hands. Purify my heart, and guide me through this night, for I trust in your unfailing love. Amen.” 

© Debbie Mendoza, May 2026