God Used the Hard Season to Shape Me | Andy Renfro

My “40” started about a year and a half into working in Child Welfare Case Management in Florida. I went into the job wanting to help families and children, but over time the weight of it all began to wear me down. The stress became constant, and eventually I started having panic attacks. I felt trapped, alone, and like I had no other options.

That was my “40.”

Every day felt like conflict. Parents were upset. Foster parents were upset. GALs were upset. No matter what decision was made, someone felt wronged. At one point, foster parents who claimed to be Christians, along with a GAL, tried to get me fired by spreading lies about me. One even falsely accused me of having an inappropriate relationship with another foster parent. Thankfully, I had built a strong reputation, and the people around me didn’t believe it, but it still took a toll on me mentally and emotionally.

I kept praying through that season, but honestly, it often felt like my prayers were unanswered. I even went to my pastor a few times asking for prayer because I didn’t know what else to do. I was exhausted and questioning whether I was really cut out for the work.

Things began to shift around the two-and-a-half-year mark. I heard about a position at Sunshine Health and applied. Around the same time, we also started attending church at Kairos. Slowly, God began changing my perspective. Instead of only focusing on the stress and criticism, I started trusting that maybe He had me in child welfare for a reason.And He did.

Now, my “41” looks very different. I still work in child welfare, but in a healthier, lower-stress role. And for the first time, I’ve been able to clearly see the fruit from those difficult years. Families I worked with still reach out to thank me. Looking back, I realize I did more good than I gave myself credit for at the time. What once felt like failure was actually preparation.

If you’re still in your “40,” trust God’s timing. Even when you can’t see what He’s doing, He may be using the hardest season of your life to shape you and impact others in ways you won’t understand until later.

From the 41 Series

For forty days, Saul and the armies of Israel stood frozen in fear before Goliath. Every morning and evening the giant returned, repeating the same threats over and over again.

Fear has a way of doing that. It repeats itself. It wears us down.
It convinces us nothing will ever change.

And over time, fear can begin shaping how we see ourselves, our work, our relationships, and even our calling.

That’s what makes difficult seasons so exhausting. Sometimes the pressure isn’t just external. It becomes internal too. Anxiety, discouragement, emotional fatigue, and isolation slowly begin taking root beneath the surface.

But David’s story reminds us that giants are not defeated through our own strength. Victory comes through surrender and dependence on God.

Sometimes the wilderness reveals things in us we would not have noticed otherwise:
our limits, our fears, our need for help, our dependence on God. And while those seasons are painful, God often uses them to reshape our perspective.

Elijah thought the wilderness meant God was finished with him. But God was still preparing, strengthening, and redirecting him.

The same is often true for us.

Sometimes what feels like failure or burnout is actually preparation for a healthier season ahead.

“What was true of God, is always true of God.”

He is still present in the pressure.
Still working in the waiting.
Still shaping us through the struggle.

Scripture Encouragement

• 1 Samuel 17:45–47

• Isaiah 41:10

• James 1:2–4

Reflect & Respond

What resonated most with you in Andy’s story? Why?

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Have you experienced seasons where stress, anxiety, or exhaustion began affecting your perspective or sense of purpose?

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How have difficult seasons revealed areas where you needed to depend more fully on God?

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What signs of growth, perspective, or healing can you now see looking back on those seasons?__________________________________________________________________________

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Prayer

God, thank You for remaining faithful even in seasons where I feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or discouraged. Help me trust that You are still working even when life feels heavy or uncertain.

Give me strength to keep relying on You instead of trying to carry every burden alone. Use difficult seasons to shape my heart, deepen my faith, and remind me that my hope is found in You.

Thank You for continuing to guide me through every wilderness season.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Share Hope

Many people quietly carry stress, anxiety, burnout, or discouragement while trying to keep moving forward. As you reflect on Andy’s story, consider sharing it with someone who may need the reminder that God is still present and still working through difficult seasons.