Grace Bloom Collective | Blooming through loss, dressed in grace.

When I was 23, I felt like I had lost everything.

At the time, I couldn’t see any purpose in the pain. I couldn’t understand why life seemed to keep taking things away from me. I was young, broken, and trying to figure out where I belonged in the world.

What I didn’t know then was that God was already putting people in my life who would help carry me through some of the hardest seasons I would ever face.

One of those people was Chris.

My husband.

My best friend.

My soulmate.

Looking back now, I can see that God placed Chris in my life for a reason. People often say that God places certain people in our lives for seasons and purposes. At 23 years old, I didn’t fully understand that.

Today, I do.

Because if I had never met Chris, I honestly don’t know where I would be.

Not long after, I lost my adoptive grandmother.

She was the last living family member from my adoptive family.

Thankfully, Chris had the opportunity to meet her, and she was able to meet my daughter Mia before she passed away. Mia was only nine months old when we lost her.

At the time, I didn’t know my biological family. I knew I had been adopted, but I didn’t know where I came from. I didn’t know the people connected to my story. I didn’t know how many questions would eventually surface about my identity, my roots, and where I truly fit in this world.

I found myself grieving more than just the loss of my grandmother.

I was grieving family.

I was grieving connection.

I was grieving the feeling of belonging somewhere.

I was trying to build a life while simultaneously trying to understand who I was.

And through all of it, Chris stayed.

He helped me when I was falling apart.

He helped me build when I felt broken.

He stood beside me when I was trying to create a family while still searching for pieces of my own story.

Back then, I didn’t recognize God’s hand in all of it.

I wasn’t walking closely with Him yet.

I wasn’t reading my Bible every day.

I wasn’t where I am now in my faith journey.

But today, looking back, I can see it clearly.

God knew exactly what I needed before I did.

He knew I would need someone steady.

Someone faithful.

Someone willing to walk beside me through grief, uncertainty, and the long journey of discovering who I really was.

And while I thought my story was falling apart, God was quietly beginning to write a new chapter.

So hold on tight.

Because my story is only just beginning.