Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
I'm Toni and a certified Life Coach. Is there a major life transition benching you? Let’s create a winning game plan to move into your new adventure.
Your life only seems to be over, however, there’s still time on the clock.
Let’s get you off the bench to start your comeback.
Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Your Struggle Is Your Proving Ground: Why God Puts Lions in Your Path
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Have you ever felt trapped in an impossible situation with no way out? That's exactly where we find Benaiah in one of Scripture's most overlooked stories – facing a lion in a pit on a snowy day. The symbolism couldn't be clearer: a predator stronger than us, nowhere to run, and treacherous conditions making every move dangerous.
This powerful biblical account perfectly mirrors those major life transitions many of us face: divorce, retirement, job loss, or the empty nest syndrome. These moments feel exactly like being trapped with a lion – frightening, overwhelming, and seemingly impossible to overcome. But Benaiah teaches us something profound – he wasn't pushed into that pit; he chose to enter it. Sometimes our breakthrough doesn't come from running away but from stepping directly into our challenges with courage and faith.
What's fascinating about Benaiah's story is that this terrifying encounter became his proving ground. That lion battle led to his promotion under King David and eventually to leadership of Israel's entire army under Solomon. Similarly, your current struggle isn't punishment; it's preparation. Those moments where we feel most outmatched and unprepared often shape us most profoundly for our next season. Your "lion" – whatever form it takes – represents the fear that wants to keep you paralyzed. But remember, courage isn't the absence of fear; it's moving forward despite it.
Ready to face your own lions? My upcoming book "Start Your Comeback" offers practical strategies for navigating life's most challenging transitions with courage and hope. Sign up at ToniThrash.com for updates on the launch. Remember, your comeback isn't built on easy victories but forged in those messy, slippery battles where you choose faith over fear. Your pit can become your launching pad. Don't run – step in and watch what God does!
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Is there a major life transition benching you? I know you may be asking what's next? What's my purpose? What if? Because I've asked those too.
Speaker 1:Welcome to the Start your Comeback Podcast. I'm Toni Thrash, a certified life coach, and I want to share the tools and practical steps to help you create a winning game plan to move into your new adventure. Hi, welcome back. You're listening to episode 103. I'm Toni Thrash, your chief comeback starter, and today we're talking about one of the most overlooked but powerful stories in scripture Benaniah, who killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day. Now I know what you're thinking, toni I'm not planning on hunting lions today. Well, that's fair, but I bet you're facing something in your life right now that feels just as terrifying, just as slippery and just as impossible, and that's why Ben and I's story matters for you and me.
Speaker 1:Let me paint this picture for you. The Bible doesn't waste words, so when we're told the details, they matter. There's a lion which is a predator stronger and faster than me for sure. There's a pit with no way out and nowhere to run, and on top of that, it's a snowy day, like the worst conditions possible. So, if we're honest, this is how life often feels in transition Divorce, retirement, job loss, empty nest. Suddenly, you're face to face with something you never asked for, trapped in a pit with it, and everything feels cold, dark and slippery. Sound familiar. So let me ask this question why do you think Benaniah went in? He wasn't pushed, he didn't stumble in and fall. He chose to face the lion. That's courage, that's resolve and that's faith.
Speaker 1:Some of us spend so much time avoiding pits that we never discover the strength God has planted in us. Sometimes the breakthrough doesn't come from running away. It comes from stepping in. What's that pit in your life right now that you're avoiding? The phone call you don't want to make? Maybe that counseling appointment you've been putting off? Or is it the financial reality you've been dodging? Just maybe God is calling you not to run but to walk into it and trust him with the light.
Speaker 1:Ben and I didn't just kill the lion for bragging rights. That battle became the reason King David later promoted him and Solomon, david's son, trusted him to lead Israel's entire army. That snowy pit was his proving ground. The same is true for us. The hardest fights, the ones where we feel unprepared, outmatched and stuck, are often the very things that shape us for our next season. I'll be honest with you, some of my own pits felt like the end Divorce, financial strain, loneliness. They looked like lions too big to defeat. But looking back, I see those battles were preparing me to lead, to coach and to speak to you today with authenticity.
Speaker 1:See, your pit is a preparation, not punishment, and sometimes we just have to face the fear head on, which, as you know I've shared many times, is a struggle for me. But you see, that lion represents fear. Scripture even calls the enemy a roaring lion seeking to devour us. Fear wants to corner you, keep you paralyzed and make you believe you can't win. But Benaniah's story teaches us something critical Fear is not conquered by running away. Fear is conquered when you face it in faith.
Speaker 1:The snowy, slippery pit is where God shows his strength through your courage. Now listen, courage doesn't mean you're not scared. Courage means you show up scared, step into the pit anyway and let God meet you there. What does this mean for you? Well, it means that if you're walking through divorce, retirement, job loss, the loneliness of an empty nest here's what I want you to hear.
Speaker 1:Your pit is not the end of you. It may be the very place your comeback begins, and I know this for a fact. Your lion, whatever it is, is not bigger than your God. Lions roar loudly, but God equips you to stand firm. Roar loudly, but God equips you to stand firm. Your snowy day doesn't mean you wait for better conditions. Courage steps in when it's least convenient. Your comeback will not be built on easy victories. It will be forged in the hard, messy, slippery battles where you choose faith over fear. Friend, you may feel like you're in a pit with a lion right now. You may feel outmatched, outnumbered and out of options. But remember Benaniah. He walked into the pit on the worst day possible and came out with victory. That's the kind of faith and courage available for you too. Your snowy pit can be the launching pad of your comeback. Don't run. Step in and just watch what God does.
Speaker 1:If this episode spoke to you today, I want to remind you that my book Start your Comeback is coming soon. It's filled with stories and strategies just like this one to help you move from the bench back into your life with courage and hope. Head to TonyThrashcom and sign up for updates so you'll be the first to know when it launches. So come, sit with me and sign up for updates so you'll be the first to know when it launches. So Come, sit with me and let's face those lines together. I'll see you next time. Hey, thanks for listening. I don't take it for granted that you're here. You didn't listen by mistake. If you want to reach out, you can DM me on Instagram at Tony Thrash Until next week. Remember, there's still time left on the clock. Let's get you off the bench to start your comeback. I want to give a special shout out to Country Club for the original music. You can find them on Instagram at Country Club.
