More from Hadassah Treu

I wrote today’s meditation at the beginning of last year. The year 2024 for me started with the unexpected illness I described in my meditation and turned out to be one of the most dynamic years since I moved to Bulgaria after losing my husband in 2020. It was a year of trials and struggles, as well as breakthroughs and significant milestones. The Lord continued to be faithful, leading me on the pathway of emotional healing toward a life of purpose and serving God.

In March 2024, my book was released. I consider this book to be the precious fruit of my suffering because it contains all the lessons I learned in the previous years. It is a must-read for any Christian who is seeking spiritual gain after a season of losses and suffering.

The first article on my own blog contained the seed of this book. So the Lord has led me full circle—from the start of my writing journey with the first post I wrote in March 2017 (exactly seven years before the book’s birth) called “About the Losses and Gains on the Way” to publishing my book. My first post carried the main idea that God is the Redeemer of all our suffering and losses and that the spiritual gains always outweigh the losses. God’s timing is amazing when I consider the biblical symbolism of the number seven, meaning completeness and perfection.

I developed the full book concept in 2021. This was one of the most difficult and painful years in my life, struggling with the fresh loss of my husband and being in the chains of intense grief. Writing this book was God’s way to shift my perspective and help me biblically interpret my suffering in a way that is helpful and nurtures my relationship with God.

Birthing the book into the world was challenging. I struggled with doubts, weariness, fear of failure, and even depression. The Lord was always there, ready to help and encourage me. With the Lord’s help, I made it.

In the same year, I celebrated my 50^th anniversary and also received the Literature Award of the Pazardzhik Municipality in Bulgaria, which was an amazing recognition and brought me joy.

My journey toward healing, wholeness, and well-being continues. The Lord gave me victory over sadness and loneliness, which were my constant companions since I became a widow. I started to feel joy again, to laugh more and enjoy the simple things in life: sunshine, a beautiful sunset, the laughter of my niece, the hug of a friend. Joy returned to my life, and with it, the hopeful expectation for a better future. 

The Lord has been faithful to me. As long as I live in continuous surrender, he leads me in continuous victory and triumph. 

“Thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.” — 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)