The Year From Hell
I commonly refer to 2006 as, “the year from hell.” It all began when my husband lost his ministry job and overnight, I felt old, fat, and poor. Each following month produced another catastrophe.
Our home was hit by lightning which destroyed one TV, all landline telephones, and my beloved computer. The hit to our house was so severe it blew the internet connection box off the wall in my office. When the guy came to look at our electrical box he said
"You took a direct hit. There is no explanation as to why your house didn't catch on fire."
Then, a threatening medical issue catapulted us into the eye- opening maze of health insurance after job loss. We have lived debt free for many years, so we aren't foolish with money. And yet as the bills loomed the discouragement was profound.
If things weren’t bad enough a church that had hired me to speak 5 times in 3 days reneged on their commitment at the last minute. A week later I found out the pastor announced from the pulpit that I HAD been the one to cancel. He lied. This caused me a serious financial loss and a dent in my reputation.
On and on unpredictable calamities hit us.
Waiting for the next wallop, I did what any mature Christian believer would do. I curled up into the fetal position and prayed for Jesus to return. My green prayer chair became a cocoon where I longed for the distress to stop.
My fist was ready to punch the next person who thoughtlessly quoted Romans 8:28, or the ones who told me God had a purpose for my pain. I didn’t want a purpose. I didn’t care about a purpose. Call me shallow, I wanted it to stop.
I was desperate for a drop of “living water” to restore my faith, my soul, and a desire to live again. Job became my patron saint, and by September of that year I fanaticized about running away from home. No plan or destination, merely— “Get me outta here!”
When rainstorms shroud my life with storms the only thing, I yearn for is safe, dry land. I don’t care if God is using the downpour to produce compassion, patience, iron-clad faith, or any other Christ-like quality. It hurts. I want it over—very simple.
Whimpering I cry out, “Heavenly Daddy, make it stop. I know you are big enough.”
And there’s the rub. When you have an intimate relationship with God you know
He can stop the pain; his capability is not the hindrance. It’s his reliability we question. It's why that snags us.
I call this torture; God calls it pruning. I loathe the process; we both love the results.
Two years later in my journal dated August 21, 2008, I have written, “During 2006 it felt as though locusts had infested every area of my life, and when they finally moved on, I was stripped bare. I had nothing left. Only the “Life Giver” could breathe existence into my nostrils. His touch was the one thing that could transform my dust into pulsing flesh and restore radiance to my ashen cheeks. I was a “Dead Man Walking” but now—Resurrection!! I feel akin to Lazarus.”
Perhaps locusts are swarming around your sweet life and home. Maybe they have stripped your family—and your emotions—bare. You feel naked and exhausted.
It might not be job loss, ministry betrayal or medical issues as it was for us that year. Yours may be another complication. One thing is certain, there WILL be seasons that feel as if someone is sucking the life out of you drop by drop.
With age the reasons for storm may change, but the emotions remain.
Take heart, it’s normal. In every situation Jesus sees you. He hears you. He still has the resurrection power to restore your world. This tsunami might leave things looking and feeling differently, but He never changes.
Just today I got a message from a woman I helped many years ago during her divorce. She shared, “You don’t know this, but you changed my life. Your words gave me hope and to this day I still quote you to other people who are going through a divorce. Keep telling your story. God blesses it over and over. God uses you to bring people to the healing only Jesus can give.”
When the storms of 2006 were crashing against our window, I couldn’t find a ray of light. I was depressed. I wondered if I would ever have a “normal” life again. It didn’t seem possible.
The enemy of your soul loves to keep you in an abyss of obscurity.
He wants you to believe your future is doomed. He is masterful at portraying a dismal outcome and tempting us to forget all that God has promised to those who love Him.
He wants you to believe you are on your own. Evil wants you to isolate. And that’s often what we do in a storm.
Right now, for you, the storm may be raging. He has not forgotten you or your family.
Even when you can’t see it, trust Him. Even when you don't FEEL it.
Feeling are frequently inaccurate that goes thriple in the storm.
My journal revealed that our storm did pass. Did we have bruises and scars? Absolutely. However, those welts and wounds now serve a higher calling.
I point to them, and offer a fellow sojourner encouragement saying,
“Let me walk beside you in the storm. I’ve been there. I know it hurts. God sees you. He hears your cry and counts your tears. (Ps 56:8) He won’t leave even if it feels like it.”
Practical Steps in the Storm
Rest. Get VERY quiet. We hear Him most clearly when we stop talking and striving.
Go outside. We were created to live in a garden. Nature is HOME for us.
Obtain practical resources that walk you through a stormy season. If you don’t know of one contact me, I’ll share. Laura@LauraPetherbridge.com
Speak out loud Bible verses that reveal we are not alone.
Find one friend you can trust to share your struggle.
Call to mind a past time when God rescued you from a storm.
Replace the fear of “what if” with the truth of reality.
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Copyright © 2026 Laura Petherbridge. All rights reserved
Laura Petherbridge is an author, speaker, chaplain and life coach. She is the author of six books including, The Smart Stepmom, coauthored with Ron Deal, Stepfamilies of the Bible: Timeless Wisdom for Blended Families, 101 Tips for The Smart Stepmom—Expert Advice from One Stepmom to Another, and When “I Do” Becomes “I Don’t”—Practical Steps for Healing During Separation and Divorce. She has been featured on FamilyLife, Billy Graham Training Center, Lifeway, Focus on the Family, Homeward, Happy Home with Arlene Pellicane, and The Dad Whisperer. Her website is www.TheSmartStepmom.com
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