Latest / Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse / How Small Habits Build A Stronger Faith Foundation During Life Transitions

Transcript

How Small Habits Build A Stronger Faith Foundation During Life Transitions · Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Is there a major life transition pinching you?
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: I know you may be asking, what's next?
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_01: What's my purpose?
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_01: What if?
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: Because I've asked those two.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Start Your Comeback Podcast.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Tony Thrash, a certified life coach, and I want to share the tools and practical steps to help you create a winning game plan to move into your new adventure.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: The first week we talked about the basics, you know, the little things that hold you together when life feels like it's fallen apart.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: And last week we looked at the power of small wins, how progress builds confidence one step at a time.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_01: And this week we're going straight to the foundation underneath it all, your faith.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: Because let's be honest, when you're in transition, faith can feel wobbly.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: You believe, but you also have doubts.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_01: You trust, but you're still questioning.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: And that's okay.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: Because you see, faith isn't about never wobbling, it's about building habits that keep you steady when you do.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's the very foundation of your belief system.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: Today I want to share a few things with you to help you stay grounded in your faith.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: Number one, I want you to start small with God.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: And the reason is because when life feels unstable, we often think faith has to be loud or dramatic.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: But God usually shows up in whispers, not fireworks, which is my favorite way because then I know he's only speaking to me.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_01: It's easy to think, I don't have the energy for a deep Bible study.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: I can't pray for an hour.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_01: I've drifted too far.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: But the truth is, you don't need a spotlight moment.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: You just need to start.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: One verse, one prayer, one honest breath that says, God, I'm here, even if I don't know what to say.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_01: When I was in the middle of my own messy season, I couldn't do the big faith things.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: I couldn't do in-depth Bible studies.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: But I could whisper short prayers in my car.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: I could read a single verse and think about it all day.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: I just didn't have the brain power to do big things.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_01: So I just kept it simple.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: And that was enough.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_01: Because God doesn't measure our volume, He measures our willingness.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_01: He meets us in small spaces before He ever moves any mountains.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: Just take five minutes of quiet.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: You won't believe how it can shift your entire day.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: You don't have to climb that spiritual mountain.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: You just have to take one faithful step.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: Number two, make faith a habit, not a Hail Mary.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: Let's be real.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of us only run to God when the game is in overtime and we're desperate for a win.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: That's the Hail Mary approach to faith.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_01: But if you've been walking with the Lord for a long time, you have built small daily faith habits, and these will make trust your default setting and not your last resort.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: Think of faith like muscle memory.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: You strengthen it through repetition.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: Just try this again.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: Start your morning with one line of gratitude.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_01: Read one verse or devotional before you scroll your phone.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_01: And then end your night by asking, where did I see God show up today?
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: These aren't huge commitments, but they're small rhythms that train your soul to stay connected.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: And here's what happens when you're in crisis, your heart already knows where to go because you've been practicing it for a long time.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_01: And even if you are new to faith or you don't know Jesus, you know what?
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: He believes in Hail Mary's too.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: This is strictly for a believer who's been walking with the Lord for a long time.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: Because the habit of faith prepares you for the test of transitions.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: It's not built in emergencies, but it's built in your day-to-day consistency.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_01: Number three, track the evidence of God's faithfulness.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_01: One of my favorite things to teach clients is to keep a faith file.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_01: Last week I had you keep a win list.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: Today I want to talk about a faith file.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_01: It's just simple.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: Write down every time you notice God show up, whether it's big or small.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe that unexpected check that came in the mail, a friend who texted you at the exact right moment.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: Or all of a sudden, the piece you couldn't explain.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: Write it all down.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: Because when life shakes again, and it will, you'll have proof that God hasn't left you before, and He's not about to start now.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_01: I've looked back at my old journals from some of the hardest years of my life, and you know what I saw?
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: A trail of grace.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: At the time, I didn't necessarily notice it, but looking back, I could see God's fingerprints everywhere.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: I could see his faithfulness.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: Because remembering his faithfulness from yesterday, it strengthens my trust for tomorrow.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: Your faith file becomes your comeback playbook.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: It just reminds you that he's still coaching from the sidelines, even when you can't see the scoreboard.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: Number four, don't overcomplicate connection.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: Your faith habits don't have to look like anyone else's.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_01: In fact, just rest assured they won't.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: They can't.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: For you, connection might look like journaling or sitting in silence or walking and talking to God out loud.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_01: It could be worship music while you cook or praying in the carpool line.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_01: We tend to think faith requires perfection when really it just requires you to participate.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: God's not grading your technique, He's meeting you in your effort.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_01: So take the pressure off.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_01: You don't have to get it right.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_01: You just have to show up and say, Here I am.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: I don't have much to say.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_01: Faith isn't a switch you flip.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: It's a seed you water, and the watering happens in small daily choices.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_01: Because every time you open your Bible when you don't feel like it, your faith grows.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_01: Every time you choose peace over panic, faith grows.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: Every time you pray a tired, half-wispered prayer, faith grows.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: These small things compound over time.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_01: And one day you'll look back and realize your roots went deeper while you were busy just surviving.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: Growth happens underground before it blooms inside.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: You may not see it yet, but God's doing something in the dark that's going to show up in the light.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_01: Here's your challenge for the week.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_01: I want you to start a faith file.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's the last page of your journal.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: And each day I want you to write down one way you saw or felt God show up.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: If you don't see it yet, write down one thing you're trusting Him for.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: It could be something small like, hey, my friend called just when I needed her.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_01: Wow, I slept through the night.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_01: Or I can't believe that bill got paid.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: By the end of the week, you'll have a tangible reminder that you're not walking alone.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_01: Because faith isn't about never doubting, it's about never disconnecting.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: It's the daily habit of saying, God, I'm still here.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_01: I still believe you're working even when I can't see it.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: Those little acts of trust create the scaffolding of a strong comeback.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: They don't erase the pain of transition, but they sure keep you anchored through it.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_01: Your comeback doesn't depend on perfect faith, it just depends on persistent faith.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_01: Because when life benches you, faith is what keeps you in the game.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_01: I'll see you next time.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, thanks for listening.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_01: I don't take it for granted that you're here.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: You didn't listen by mistake.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: If you want to reach out, you can DM me on Instagram at Tony Thrash.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_01: Until next week, remember, there's still time left on the clock.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: Let's get you off the bench to start your comeback.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_01: I want to give a special shout out to Country Club for the original music.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_01: You can find them on Instagram at Country Club.