When Time Stands Still
By Ryan Dawson
There are moments in life when the world seems to stop spinning. It comes in a phone call, a knock at the door, a sudden tragedy — and everything changes in an instant. Some of us in our church family know this kind of heartbreak all too well: losing someone we love with no warning, no chance for a final goodbye. It feels like time itself has betrayed us, stealing what we thought we had left.
In these raw and painful moments, I’ve been drawn back to the words of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NLT): “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” These verses remind us that our lives, with all their joys and heartbreaks, unfold under God’s sovereign timing. There is a time to be born and a time to die… a time to cry and a time to laugh… a time to grieve and a time to dance.
I don’t pretend that these words take away the agonizing ache of losing someone suddenly. But they do remind us that God holds time itself in His hands — even the moments that break our hearts. There is no season of our lives that is hidden from God, no loss too sudden for His comfort, no tears that go unnoticed. God is still good, even amid the darkest seasons of our lives, and because He is faithful, we can trust Him. I’m holding onto this hope in these days as we grieve with our family.
As a Sequoia family, we have the privilege of walking tenderly with one another through these seasons of grief. Grief and pain show no partiality, and we are all assailed at different times by these marauders. In these desperate moments, we can remind each other that God has not abandoned us, even when our world has turned upside down. We can be a tangible expression of God’s comfort by simply being present with each other when life hurts. This is a real gift to those struggling and to those who bring this kind of comfort.
Thank you for caring for us so well in our sadness and grief— you are a tremendous gift to us! Your love, prayers, and support in this season, has been a tangible expression of the goodness of God to us. You have reminded us that God is still here, holding every moment, every tear, and every memory. He sees us and loves us, even in the “valley of the shadow of death.” And you have shown us through your love, that one day, in God’s perfect timing, He will turn our mourning into dancing.
If you are grieving today, please know you are not alone. As a church family we are here to pray, to listen, to weep with you, and to carry hope together. There is a time to heal, and by God’s grace, that time will come. Until then, let’s hold on to Christ — and to one another.
With much love in Christ, Ryan
There are moments in life when the world seems to stop spinning. It comes in a phone call, a knock at the door, a sudden tragedy — and everything changes in an instant. Some of us in our church family know this kind of heartbreak all too well: losing someone we love with no warning, no chance for a final goodbye. It feels like time itself has betrayed us, stealing what we thought we had left.
In these raw and painful moments, I’ve been drawn back to the words of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NLT): “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” These verses remind us that our lives, with all their joys and heartbreaks, unfold under God’s sovereign timing. There is a time to be born and a time to die… a time to cry and a time to laugh… a time to grieve and a time to dance.
I don’t pretend that these words take away the agonizing ache of losing someone suddenly. But they do remind us that God holds time itself in His hands — even the moments that break our hearts. There is no season of our lives that is hidden from God, no loss too sudden for His comfort, no tears that go unnoticed. God is still good, even amid the darkest seasons of our lives, and because He is faithful, we can trust Him. I’m holding onto this hope in these days as we grieve with our family.
As a Sequoia family, we have the privilege of walking tenderly with one another through these seasons of grief. Grief and pain show no partiality, and we are all assailed at different times by these marauders. In these desperate moments, we can remind each other that God has not abandoned us, even when our world has turned upside down. We can be a tangible expression of God’s comfort by simply being present with each other when life hurts. This is a real gift to those struggling and to those who bring this kind of comfort.
Thank you for caring for us so well in our sadness and grief— you are a tremendous gift to us! Your love, prayers, and support in this season, has been a tangible expression of the goodness of God to us. You have reminded us that God is still here, holding every moment, every tear, and every memory. He sees us and loves us, even in the “valley of the shadow of death.” And you have shown us through your love, that one day, in God’s perfect timing, He will turn our mourning into dancing.
If you are grieving today, please know you are not alone. As a church family we are here to pray, to listen, to weep with you, and to carry hope together. There is a time to heal, and by God’s grace, that time will come. Until then, let’s hold on to Christ — and to one another.
With much love in Christ, Ryan