Held in His Hands: Finding Hope When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn

I was standing in the sandy soil on my Grandmother’s farm when my hair started to fall out. Chatting with my cousin and absentmindedly raking my fingers through my hair, I didn’t expect the long, brown strands that appeared in my fists. My doctor had warned me that hair loss might result from the two twelve-hour surgeries I had recently endured. Still, I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been for the sudden loss.

I let the hair slip through my fingers, watching as the lighter strands were carried away by the breeze and the heavier ones fell to the ground. Again and again, I combed my fingers through my hair, but the shedding seemed endless. Raking and releasing—this was how I let go of the hair that had been with me for years.

But my hair wasn’t the only thing I had to release. The major diagnosis that followed my surgeries came with the reality that life as I knew it would be markedly different. Limitations would abound. With no cure or treatment available for the genetic disorder I now knew I carried, I was forced to let go of dreams I had nurtured for as many years as my hair had grown. A career in the fitness industry? Gone. The hope of growing our family with another child? Gone. The expectation of living long enough to meet my grandchildren? Gone.

With so much loss, it would have been easy to believe that God placed little value on the life He had given me. It would have been easy to assume that the life I had lived so far had been insignificant to its Creator. It would have been easy to think that God was unaware of the hair that was lost, the dreams that were released, and the emptiness that followed.

Except that He does know.

Jesus reminded His disciples in Luke 12:7, "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered." If God pays such careful attention to something as small as a single strand of hair, how much more does He see our struggles, our losses, and our deepest longings? He sees every hair that was lost and every dream that was surrendered. And because He is both sovereign and good, I can trust that what He allows me to release, He can also redeem.

God cares for the very details of all He has created, including me and you. Our lives have value to Him—not because of what we can do or achieve, but because we are His. And if He cares enough to number our hairs, then surely He cares enough to replace our broken dreams with His perfect plans.

God promises to redeem what we must release.

Several months passed, and slowly, my once-bald scalp began to fill in with new hair. Short and stubby at first, each strand was a quiet reminder that growth was still possible—even after loss. And with it, something else began to grow—new dreams. Dreams shaped not by my own plans, but by God’s perfect will. Dreams I would have never dared to imagine had it not been for the unexpected redirection of my life. What I once saw as an ending, He was weaving into a new beginning.

Maybe you, too, are standing in the midst of loss, wondering what comes next. Perhaps the dreams you once held feel out of reach, and you're left grasping for hope. If so, take heart—God has not forgotten you. He is not indifferent to your struggles, nor is He absent from your pain. Today and always, He covers you with unfathomable compassion. He sees the empty spaces, the aching disappointments, the quiet prayers whispered in the dark. The same God who numbers the hairs on your head holds every piece of your story in His hands. 

What feels like loss today may, in His hands, become the foundation for something new—something greater than you ever imagined. He is still at work, even in the waiting. We can trust that He will restore, redeem, and breathe new life into what feels broken beyond repair.

Lord, remind me that in the midst of disappointment and loss, my life and my dreams matter greatly to You. Help me to trust that what You ask me to release, You will also redeem.

What is something in your life that you’ve had to release, and how have you seen God bring renewal in unexpected ways? Share your story in the comments—I’d love to encourage and pray for you!

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Heather M. Dixon is an author, speaker, Bible teacher, women's ministry coach and founder of The Rescued Letters Collective. Diagnosed with an incurable and terminal genetic disorder that she inherited from her mother, she is passionate about helping women find hope for their hard story by making the Bible available, relatable, and understandable. Heather serves as the Women’s Ministry Director for her church in Raleigh and when she is not writing Bible studies or speaking at women’s conferences and events, she loves to make the most of everyday moments such as cooking for her husband and son, checking out way too many library books, or unashamedly indulging in her love for all things Disney. Heather is the author of four Bible studies including Determined: Living Like Jesus in Every Moment and Renewed: Finding Hope When You Don’t Like Your Story.

Connect with Heather on her website at TheRescuedLetters.com

and on social @rescuedletters

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