From Ashes to Beauty: When God Rebuilds What We Thought Was Lost

---

Had the sweetest girls day out with my youngest at the Beauty for Ashes women’s brunch.

The worship was powerful.The stories were raw and real. And the room was full—full of love, sisterhood, and God’s undeniable presence.

But more than anything, it was a space where women could come as they are. And honestly? That’s rare. No need for filters or performance—just women showing up with their stories, scars, prayers, and praises.

The theme—Beauty for Ashes—was more than just a title. It was a declaration. A promise.Straight from Isaiah 61:3, where God says He will give “a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”

It’s easy to read that and think it’s just poetic. A beautiful verse. A nice idea.

But when life doesn’t go as planned…When you’re standing in the middle of a big transition and the ground beneath you doesn’t feel as steady as it used to…When the world around you feels chaotic and uncertain, and you can’t seem to catch your breath…

Whether it’s school, your career, friendships, family, your physical or spiritual health—when things fall apart in areas you’ve poured your heart into—this promise becomes personal.

Because when you’ve walked through fire—when you’ve lost something you thought would last, when your plans unravel, when your heart carries the ache of disappointment or the weight of waiting—“beauty for ashes” becomes more than a poetic phrase. It becomes a lifeline.

Ashes only exist where something once lived. Something you cared about. Something important. But God doesn’t leave us in the ruins. He doesn’t brush the ashes aside and tell us to move on.He trades them.

He redeems them. He uses them. Some seeds only grow after fire.

The heat and destruction actually trigger their growth.

And I believe God works the same way.

What feels like the end, He sees as a beginning.What feels like loss, He transforms into legacy.

What feels like a barren season, He turns into fertile ground for something new.

And through it all—community matters more than ever.

We need people who will sit with us in the ashes and remind us of the beauty that’s still possible.People who will pray with us when we’re too tired to pray for ourselves.Who will celebrate our small steps forward, call out the gold in us when we forget it’s there, challenge us with love, and walk with us through the everyday highs and lows.

Real community, strong family, and genuine friendship are not just support systems—they are lifelines God uses to carry us when we feel weak and anchor us when the winds of life get strong.

And I know this to be true—not just because I’ve seen it in others, but because I have my own set of ashes.

There are parts of my story that didn’t unfold the way I imagined. Plans that fell apart.

Seasons I didn’t see coming.But even in those places, I have no doubt that God is faithful to do what He promised.

Maybe not the way I envisioned.

But always the way He has perfectly planned for my life.

So if you're walking through a time that feels dry, scorched, or uncertain—know this isn’t the end of your story.

There is still beauty ahead.

You may not see it yet. You may not feel it yet.

But God is already at work, quietly and powerfully, bringing life from the ashes.

Not in the same shape as before.

Not as a copy of what once was.

But as something brand new.

Something stronger.

Something filled with purpose and hope.

Take heart, friend. You’re not walking this alone.

And the ashes?

They’re not the end.

They’re the place where beauty is about to rise. 🌱

---

Canena Adams, MA, BSW, SRAS

Communications Professional & Leadership Coach

Wife | Mother | Writer | Author | Public Speaker | Social Worker | Business Owner | Nonprofit Founder & Director | Sexual Risk Avoidance Specialist | Healthy Family & Relationship Advocate | Blogger | Podcaster | Adjunct College Prof. | PhD Student | And more...