Introduction

Life is a journey. We navigate the days through the twists and turns--climbing high into the majestic mountain tops and descending deep into the dark, desperate valleys. We all experience different seasons on our journeys. We probably wouldn’t say it this way, but most of us are searching for the abundant life or life to the full.
 
We rarely ask questions and wonder “why” while nearing our peaks of success and victory. Yet, in the valleys or deserts, we ask deep, heart-breaking questions. It is often in these times of searching that we experience doubt, fear, and faith all knotted together. When our journeys turn to chaos, when things get mixed up and we find complete disorder and confusion, our entire beings begin firing in every conceivable direction. We often feel like we don’t know which way is up. We are not sure how to move forward or even if we want to move forward.
 
It is in these moments, when our trust in God is pushed to the breaking point, that faith must become reality. For so many followers of Jesus, it’s in these dark, dreary moments that Jesus becomes more real in their lives than ever before. Just when you expect their stories to end by crumbling into a pit of despair, the plot changes.
 
The pages of the Bible are filled with stories of men and women who navigate moments, days, and seasons of personal chaos. These are the stories of people like Abraham, Joseph, Job, Elijah, Esther, Jonah, and so many more. When you read the totality of their stories, you can see God working.
 
In the days just before Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples found themselves scrambling to make sense of His words and actions. As Jesus told them again that He must face suffering, that they would be scattered, and that they would leave Him alone, He tried to help them understand. “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” John 16:33
 
Jesus clearly tells us that there will be suffering in this world. We often expect faith to fall apart when suffering comes. For some, the fact that God allows hard, bad things to happen is a huge hindrance to belief. Yet, so many people have stories of real faith during the hardest moments. What can be learned or experienced from their stories? What can you see by watching real people walk through pain and suffering? What can you learn by listening to them share both their raw experiences of hurt and grief and their genuine hope and joy of being sustained and strengthened by God during their darkest moments?
 
The following stories come from my own experiences, from the experiences of people who attend our church, and from their friends. Some of these people are happy to share their names, while others choose to remain anonymous. At the end of it all, the name that consistently threads through this book is the name of Jesus. He is the “author and perfecter” of each of our faith stories.
 
My hope is that sharing these stories will strengthen your faith and encourage you on your journey. For those of you who struggle to believe, I pray that you would hear genuine stories of faith through the chaos of life and recognize that God can be trusted even in the valley, the desert, or the storm.