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In this episode, Ashley walks through Chapter 12 of Cradled in Hope, “More Than Gold: When You Allow God to Transform You,” and reflects on how her faith has been shaped through trials—even before losing Bridget. She shares how past hardships prepared her to walk through grief with Jesus and how those earlier seasons of suffering laid a foundation of trust in God’s goodness.

Ashley explains that transformation doesn’t mean moving on from grief—it’s about sanctification: becoming more like Christ through the pain. Rooted in 1 Peter 1:6–7, she talks about how God can use the fire of loss to refine our faith. With honesty and hope, she encourages grieving moms to surrender their broken hearts to Jesus and to consider how He might be working in them—even in the midst of deep sorrow.

In this episode, Ashley shared:

• How suffering is often the way Jesus molds and refines us through trials
• The biblical meaning behind the title “More Than Gold” from 1 Peter 1:6–7
• Her personal story of walking through many painful trials—including a divorce due to adultery, Bridget’s death, her son Brenner’s medical crisis, and her father’s tragic death
• A chart she includes in the book illustrating that in life, we are always either about to enter, in the middle of, or coming out of a trial
• How her questions to God have shifted over time—from “Why me?” to “What do You want to teach me through this?”
• Why pruning is part of the process of bearing more fruit for God’s Kingdom (John 15)
• How our desperation in grief leads us into deeper dependence on Jesus
• Scriptural promises that link suffering with future glory and purpose
• The urgency to live for eternity, invest in Heavenly treasure, and serve God out of gratitude—not obligation

Ashley gently reminds moms that God never wastes our pain. If we allow Him, He will take the ashes of grief and turn them into something more beautiful and eternal than we could ever imagine—faith that is more precious than gold.

Journaling Prompt
In what ways has grief changed you? Do you see signs of spiritual growth in your life? What would it look like to allow God to use your grief to refine you?

Healing Step
Light a candle and watch the flame. Reflect on the fire of grief in your life. Talk to God about the pain you’ve walked through and ask Him to refine your faith like gold.

Full transcript below.

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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Ashley Opliger: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Cradled in Hope Podcast Book Club.

I’m your host, Ashley Opliger—grieving mom, author of Cradled in Hope, and founder of Bridget’s Cradles. I’m so honored to walk with you through my book, one chapter at a time, as we navigate the heartbreak of losing a baby together.

After my daughter Bridget went to Heaven at 24 weeks, I wrestled with deep sadness and complex questions about God’s goodness. But through that grief, Jesus showed me that He not only cradles our babies in Heaven, He also holds our broken hearts here on earth.

Whether you’re reading along or simply listening in, this is a safe space for your sorrow—a place where your tears, questions, and raw emotions are welcome. Each episode, we’ll reflect on a chapter of Cradled in Hope and gently walk together from heartbreak to healing, and from pain to purpose.

My prayer is that this podcast will remind you that you are not alone in your grief and, most importantly, that it will point you to Jesus, the only One who can truly heal your heart. Through faith in Him, there is hope to see your baby again, and He will be with you every step from here to Heaven.

So wherever you are in your journey, I invite you to join me—and together, we will grieve with hope.

Let’s begin.

Ashley Opliger: [00:01:23] Hi friends. Welcome back. Today, we are diving into Chapter 12, More Than Gold: When You Allow God to Transform You. 

This chapter is all about sanctification. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are on a continual journey of sanctification, and oftentimes that refining comes through the fire. It’s a purifying, if you will, of gold. 

And sometimes we refer to it as pruning. There’s various Bible verses that talk about pruning and how the Lord will prune us in order to get rid of the branches that are not bearing fruit and to make the ones that are producing fruit to bear even more fruit. 

And so this chapter is really near and dear to my heart because I do believe that this is such an integral part of our grief journey, is the sanctification that Jesus does in our hearts through grieving and healing with Him.

[00:02:14] So much of my book, I talk about how I believe that the Lord wants us to use our grief for good, but that can’t happen until a work is done in our hearts first. And so there’s very much an internal work that happens, and then the overflow of what’s happening in our hearts comes out with service and good deeds and working for the Lord.

[00:02:35] And that is not something that we’re doing because we have to. It’s because we want to, and it’s a privilege to serve Jesus after all He’s done for us. And so this chapter really focuses on the internal work inside our hearts as Jesus is molding us into His likeness. And so often that transformation comes through trials and pain.

[00:02:55] And as grieving moms, we know that losing a baby is one of the hardest life trials that someone can experience on this earth. And so it is an opportune time for the enemy to wreak havoc, but it’s also an opportune time for Jesus to do His healing work in our hearts and to change us and grow us into the woman that He has called us to be. And I have seen that in my own life, and I am praying that for you in your life. 

[00:03:23] So let’s start by reading the opening passage from this chapter, which comes from 1 Peter 1:6-7. I do want to say this entire chapter is focused on 1 Peter 1, because as you probably noticed, the ‘more than gold’ that is a biblical reference to 1 Peter 1, and I’m about to read that verse, so pay attention when you hear that phrase as to why I chose to name this title More Than Gold. 

[00:03:46] Okay, so here’s the verse. “On that day, you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while. Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire, and these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns.”

[00:04:15] I don’t know about you, but that is one of my favorite Bible verses. It is so encouraging for those who are suffering, for those who are going through trials, that there is a beautiful end result to our suffering, and that is that our faith is being strengthened. And our faith is worth more than gold because our faith is being produced in the fire and being tested in the fire, and there is praise and honor and glory that will come from having faith through the trials.

[00:04:42] Because if you think about faith, it would be so much easier to believe in Jesus if everything was going well and we felt like we were being blessed with all the desires of our hearts. But our faith is really tested when life does not go our way, and we are going through devastating trials that make us question our faith and question who God is.

[00:05:03] But if we come out the other side and we lean on Him and we wrestle with our faith through that, He is honored and given glory by us having faith through the trials. 

Let’s dive into a story that I share in this chapter, and it’s actually one of the few stories I share in my book about my living children, and this is also about my son Brenner, who, I mentioned him in the last chapter when I was talking about his gender reveal and how I was so excited to be having another little boy and a brother for our older son. And at the same time, I was experiencing a lot of grief over not raising a daughter on earth and missing Bridget so much. And so when he was two years old, we had a very scary situation happen with him medically.

[00:05:50] He has had GI medical issues since he was a little baby. He was diagnosed with FPIES. It’s called Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome. And he was diagnosed when he was nine months old and he has had severe food allergies and gastrointestinal issues. And so we were taking him to different children’s hospitals across the country, including in Denver and in Kansas City.

[00:06:14] We were up in Kansas City doing a particular procedure to dilate his pylorus, and when they were trying to dilate his pylorus to help with some of the issues that we were facing with him, which was low weight gain and low appetite, they actually perforated his pylorus on accident and they did not know that they had done this in the procedure.

[00:06:35] They discharged us. We went back to our Airbnb that we were staying in in Kansas City, and we knew immediately that things were not right. He was vomiting and he started to turn blue and limp. And so we rushed him back to the emergency room and they did a CT scan and found out that there was air in his abdominal cavity, which meant that there was a perforation, so they rushed him back to emergency surgery.

[00:07:00] It was a three-hour long surgery, and he ended up being hospitalized for a week. It was a very, very scary time. The doctors had actually likened the severity of the situation to a gunshot wound to the stomach, because he went septic, because the contents in his stomach had leaked out into his cavity.

[00:07:16]  And so he was very, very sick, and it was an incredibly scary situation to go through as a mom and for my husband. And we were just terrified and overwhelmed with, “What is happening to our two-year-old little son?” And that situation was so overwhelming. 

I remember laying in the hospital room; he would always want to be laying on top of me, and I stayed there with him for a week just laying underneath him. And he was laying with his back on me, because he didn’t want to be, obviously, on his stomach after having stomach surgery.

[00:07:50] And he had a tube and four different holes from the laparoscopy, and it was just a very, very serious and traumatic situation for him and for us. And so as we were walking through this trial, it was very overwhelming to go through. I was posting updates about what was going on with him, and people were praying, and we were so grateful to have such an amazing support system.

[00:08:16] My mom and sister came up to Kansas City. We had some friends stop by. People were sending gift cards and cards and just being so kind. I had friends in Kansas City that were helping out with practical needs, and we were so blessed with so much love and support in that time. 

But I do remember through that trial, there were so many people who knew me and they knew my story, and they knew that I had previously lost Bridget, and they knew that I had been, prior to that, through a devastating trial in my early twenties.

[00:08:49] I had gone through a devastating divorce due to adultery, and that season was so painful, and I had walked through these life-shattering, heartbreaking situations that you never think that you’re going to experience, that that’s going to be a part of your life story. 

And so some of my friends, who knew all of these trials that I had been through and knew the depths of my suffering and all the pain that I had been through, they would say, “You don’t deserve to go through this. You’ve already gone through enough.”

And I thought, “Wow.” Their statements were well-meaning, and I feel like there’s some truth to what they were saying. They didn’t think that it was fair that one person should have to go through so much. 

[00:09:39] And to be honest, there are many times that I have those questions that I feel like there should be a quota on grief and suffering and a cap as to how much we can experience in this life, but unfortunately, there’s not. 

And so I have walked through so many trials before losing Bridget and before this situation with my son and after, and just recently walked through one of the most devastating life trials I’ve ever gone through, and I hope I never have anything that’s worse than this.

[00:10:00] But my dad was hit and killed by a drunk driver a year ago. And that experience, losing him in such a tragic and sudden way, something that was so preventable, and in such a cruel and depraved way, he was hit and left in the middle of the road paralyzed, and he lived for a week, but we had to watch him suffer in the hospital and it was excruciating. 

[00:10:25] And I’ve been on a year journey of grieving and healing. And honestly, I think it will take the rest of my life to grieve. And I don’t know that I will find 100% healing until I’m with my dad and with Bridget again in Heaven, and most importantly with my Savior.

[00:10:41] But I’ve gone through a lot of things, and chances are you’ve been through a lot of things too. And I’m not sharing all of these life trials to say that I have it worse than anyone else or anything like that, because I think it’s really important not to compare grief to each other and not to compare suffering in that way.

[00:11:01] Everybody that’s walking this earth has been through something and most likely has been through multiple trials and tragedies that have shaped your life. And if you’re listening to this podcast, you have most likely lost a baby, which is one of the most traumatic experiences anyone can walk through. And so if you’re here, you know what pain and suffering looks like, and you’ve walked through the depths of it.

[00:11:25] So when my friends were saying these things, I started to think about, “Is there any truth to the fact that I don’t deserve to go through this? Is there any truth to the fact that I’ve already gone through enough?” And as I really started to study Scripture on these theological statements, I found that they were inaccurate.

[00:11:47] The thought is between the statement, “You don’t deserve to go through this,” is the theological inaccuracy that, “If you follow Jesus or you’re a good person, you will be blessed and not face trials; Christians don’t deserve to suffer.” 

[00:12:00] Obviously we know that that’s not true, that Jesus Himself told us we would suffer, that there would be many trials that we walk through, that we would have to take up our cross and follow Him. And so Christians are not immune to suffering, and anyone on this earth is not immune to the brokenness of this world. And so that one is not true.

[00:12:22] And then the other statement, “You’ve already gone through enough,” the theological inaccuracy is, “If you’ve already gone through something hard, you won’t have to go through more hard things. There should be a cap on how much suffering one person can endure.” But sadly, there’s no limit to the number, frequency, or intensity of trials we may experience in a lifetime.

[00:12:42] And so that’s not super encouraging news. I understand that. And I don’t like that fact because I think to myself, “I’m 38 years old right now, and I’ve already been through so many difficult things, yet I still, presumably, have many more years to live, Lord willing. And when I look at those years, I know there’s going to be more trials coming.

[00:13:04] And I have in my book, you probably already noticed if you’re reading along, that those two statements that I just shared with you, I have a little chart explaining that, but I have a diagram on page 204, and you’ll have to go look at the book to see what it looks like. 

[00:13:22] It’s essentially a series of loops with a line being drawn upwards, and there’s an X on the line right before a large loop that says number one. And then there’s an X that’s on the line inside a big loop that says number two. And then there’s an X coming out of that loop and says number three. 

And how I came upon this concept was when I was going through the divorce that I was sharing with you earlier, I was being counseled by my pastor, who had married us and who had baptized me as an adult and had been a huge part of my faith journey.

[00:13:58] And I just remember him drawing this diagram on his marker board and saying, “Every single person on this earth is either here,” and he pointed to number one, “here,” pointed to number two, “or here,” pointed to number three. 

And what he was explaining was that each of these loops is a trial in your life. And life is a series of loops and trials, and everyone on earth is either about to go into a trial, is currently in a trial, or is coming out of a trial. And even if you’re the one coming out of a trial, there are more loops coming. 

And again, I realize this is not the most encouraging news. And at the time when he told me this, I remember thinking, because he told me, “You’re at number two. You’re in the middle of this major trial, but this won’t be your last.” 

And at the time, I thought, “There could not be anything worse than this.” The betrayal and the rejection and the loss of identity of being a wife and all of my future plans just shattering, and there were so many emotions and so much grief attached to that loss. And as I was listening to him say that, I was thinking, “There can’t be anything worse than this. There’s no way I’m going to be able to survive this and then encounter more trials.”

[00:15:20] And unfortunately, he was right, and there were many more devastating loops. I ended up meeting my husband and getting married, and then we had Bridget, and so we had to walk through that trial early in our marriage. 

And then as I shared with you with our son and the health issues and the surgery and hospitalization, and then everything that happened with my dad, there’s just been loop after loop after loop, and there have been so many trials that have been absolutely devastating. I’m walking through another one right now.

[00:15:51] And so what I want to share, the hope that I want to impart here is that in each of these loops, as we are walking through each of these trials, there is a sanctification that’s happening as we go through our grieving and healing with Jesus.

[00:16:08] He is working in our hearts and pruning those branches that are not bearing fruit, and pruning the ones that are to make them even more fruitful, and molding us into who we’re supposed to be. 

[00:16:30] And so when I look back on my life, in all of these loops that I’ve described, I can see the Lord’s hand in each of them and how He strengthened my faith in each of them. He showed Himself faithful. 

And so as I went through the next one, I could look back at the past, in the previous trials and say, “You know what? This was devastating. And I thought I wasn’t going to make it through. But He was faithful and He did carry me through. And I’m a different woman because of that, and I am further along in my journey with Christ, and He is molding me more into who He designed me to be.” 

Although it’s painful to walk through these trials, I would don’t wish that they were part of my story. I can look back at them and say, “I would not be who I am today. I would not be doing the ministry that I’m doing. I would not have the compassion and passions that I have.”

[00:17:14] And by the way, I’m still a work in progress. I have definitely not arrived in my sanctification journey. And the Lord is continuing to prune and refine and test me through the fire. And I’m walking through various trials right now that are very difficult and painful, and I know there will be more to come. But when I can look at it and know that He is faithful and He is working something good in me, through me, and out of me, I can learn to embrace these trials.

[00:17:50] And so that’s actually what I want to impart to you, is having a different perspective of where you are right now in your trial, that as you are suffering and you are grieving the loss of your baby, and you wish that this was not part of your life story, I understand how badly you wish that you did not need to be listening to this podcast, that you were snuggling your baby right now, and all of this was just not part of your life. 

I completely understand because there are many days that I look at my life and I’m just like, “What happened? How did it get to be this?” And so many things that I’m doing on a daily basis are because of these past trials. And I look at it and I’m like, “Wow, these have shaped me. I will never, ever be the same.”

[00:18:35] And so you could look at that from a negative perspective and you could say, “If all of these things didn’t happen and I didn’t lose my baby, I would be happier and I would be a better person because I wouldn’t have this grief and the depression and anxiety.” And I certainly can resonate with that kind of sentiment because there are times that I think that about myself. 

[00:18:57] But at the same time, my relationship with Jesus has always been the strongest and has always grown the most through the valleys of life because I need to rely on Him like I’ve never relied on Him before. And there is a closeness and intimacy with Jesus when He is everything you need, and you need to rely on Him to get you through the days and the hours.

[00:19:22] And it is through the trials that we really understand our need for a Savior and the hope of the Gospel, that we have been promised eternity in Heaven with Him. 

And so this is all a part of our spiritual growth and formation. And sanctification is a fancy word for it, but essentially it’s walking through these trials and growing and becoming more like Christ through them.

[00:19:47] And so as I shared with you, this is a difference in perspective because a lot of times when something happens in my life and it’s painful and it’s a major trial, I usually try to reject it, and I don’t want it to be part of my life story. 

[00:20:03] As I’ve gone through so many different trials in my life and I’ve walked with the Lord through them, I’ve started to notice that I have this shift in how I view my circumstances. And I’ve stopped feeling the need to rush through them because I know that God has something for me in them, and I know that sometimes that messy middle is actually where the most healing work and spiritual growth happens. 

[00:20:31] I share in the book about how I’m currently walking through some trials. And honestly, when I wrote the book, the trials that I was walking through at that time are still persisting now, but I have new ones that I’m walking through. And so this still speaks to me in this season of my life. But what I’ve found is that my perspective, my circumstances, and the types of questions that I ask God in those trials have changed over time.

[00:20:57] I have a chart that talks about the kinds of questions I used to ask when new trials would come up. “Why me, Lord? Why are You allowing this to happen? What did I do to deserve this? Are You punishing me? Where are You, God?” Those kinds of questions, right? “How could You?” 

But as I’ve grown through the trials, I’ve noticed that I’ve started to ask different kinds of questions, and some of those questions are, “Why did You choose me for this? What do You want to teach me in this season? What do I need to learn about You? What area of my life or heart needs pruning? What good will You bring from this? Who do You want me to become through this? And who can I bless or comfort because this is now part of my testimony?”

[00:21:42] And so this has been so life changing for me to start asking these questions of God, to pray these kinds of questions, to journal about them, to have that shift in my perspective that God is working in the midst of this and even though it’s painful and I don’t like it, and I wish that I could be on the other side of it, that I know that good is happening in my heart. 

And before He can use me for something good and something beautiful can come from these ashes, He really has to do that work inside of me. I call this the ‘hard but holy harvest’ because in God’s economy, suffering is valued, not because He enjoys watching us suffer, but because it prunes us to bear more fruit for His Kingdom. This is sanctification, which involves the work of the Holy Spirit. 

Ashley Opliger: [00:18:09] We hope you’re finding encouragement in this episode so far. We want to take a moment to share some resources our ministry offers to support grieving moms like you.

On our website, bridgetscradles.com, you’ll learn more about our nonprofit and find many hope-filled resources, including free e-books to help you plan a memorial or funeral service for your baby, meaningful ways to honor your baby in your heart and home, and gentle guidance for navigating difficult days like due dates, Heaven Days, and holidays.

We invite you to join our community of grieving moms through our Christ-centered support groups, offered both in-person at our headquarters near Wichita, Kansas, and virtually through Hope Online. These gatherings provide a place to find comfort, connection, and biblical hope alongside other moms who understand your pain.

You can view upcoming dates and sign up on our website. While you’re there, we’d also be honored for you to share your baby’s story with us.

For ongoing support, we welcome you to join our private Cradled in Hope Facebook group—a safe space for grieving moms to find friendship and walk their healing journey together.

To stay connected with us and receive faith-filled encouragement, follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @bridgetscradles, @cradledinhope, and my personal page @ashleyopliger. 

Now, let’s get back to the episode.

Ashley Opliger: [00:23:53] And so we see this parable in John 15. Jesus explains that He is the vine, His Father is the gardener, and we are the branches. He prunes the branches that don’t bear fruit, but He also prunes the fruitful branches to bear even more fruit. Jesus emphasized we can only bear fruit if we remain in Him.

[00:24:11] This is so important for us to understand, that through this suffering there is this pruning that happens. And He doesn’t want our pain to be wasted. He wants us to be able to use all the branches, all of the pain, and we don’t want to throw away our branches. We don’t want all of our pain to be in vain. We want the Lord to use every last ounce of our grief and suffering. 

[00:24:45] And so even though this process is very painful, we have to remember that the Gardener knows what He is doing, loves us, and works for our good and His glory.

And so this grief that we’re experiencing over the loss of a baby, it really is an invitation to intimacy with Jesus and an opportunity for us to know Him like we’ve never known Him before, and for Him to reveal Himself to us in these dark moments. 

[00:25:00] And I share this line in my book, I say, “Your desperation and despair will lead you to a deep dependence on your Savior. And as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death with Him, we rely on His rod and staff to comfort us, and we see that He is leading us out of the valley, but He’s also in the valley with us. He’s walking through each step of the suffering.”

[00:25:33] And what I have found as I’ve studied suffering in the Bible, there is a direct link between glory and suffering. This is not only in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament, that there is a clear correlation between our present suffering and future glory. 

I’m going to read a few Bible verses that express that connection. This is from 1 Peter 4:12-13. “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.”

[00:26:07] And 1 Peter 5:10 says, “The God of all grace, [who] called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Then Paul says in Romans 8:17, “If indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.”

He also says in Romans 5:3-4. “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

[00:26:40] As we can see throughout, Jesus is sanctifying us so that He can give us “a crown of beauty instead of ashes,” that’s described in Isaiah 61:3. And so these ashes that He’s replacing on our forehead, which, in the Old Testament, those ashes were a symbol of repentance and grief and death, He’s going to exchange that for a beautiful garland on our head. 

[00:27:03] So all of this pain will one day result in glory. It’s hard for us to imagine, but it will. And so as He’s doing this work in us, which is sanctification, He’s going to do a work through us. And that’s the using our grief for good, which I talk about in the next chapter, so be sure to tune into the next episode when we go more into how the Lord uses what happens in our hearts and has that outpouring into serving others and using our grief for good.

[00:27:32] We know that there are Heavenly treasures for us as we work for the Lord. Working for the Lord, by the way, does not mean that we are trying to earn our salvation with works. We are saved by the grace of Jesus. 

However, when we are saved from eternal damnation in Hell and we have this beautiful relationship with the Savior, who has promised us eternity in Heaven and eternal life, that He’s saved our soul, out of that gratitude we want to serve Him and work for the Lord. And so we should want to do things for Him and for other people out of that overflow. 

[00:28:11] And so in this chapter, I talk a lot about my own journey of leaving a paid career to do ministry full-time. And I am not necessarily encouraging that everyone leaves their paid job and goes into ministry. I know that’s not feasible for everyone.

[00:28:27] That’s not what God is asking for every single person. He has a very different plan and calling for each of you that’s listening, and it’s going to look very different compared to someone else’s calling. And that’s okay because we are one body with many parts, and God has the body of Christ doing different things all for His Kingdom.

[00:28:48] But I think it’s so important to have this perspective that our lives are but a vapor, and what we do with our time on earth matters. Although you might not go into full-time ministry, we all as followers of Jesus have a ministry that God has asked us to do.

[00:29:04] I think with time I have realized how fleeting our time on earth is, and as you know with losing a child, you see that. You see the brevity of life. And I don’t know about you, but for me, after Bridget went to Heaven, I really realize that I am mortal too, and that one day I’m going to die, and that I want to live my life with urgency, certainly after walking through my dad’s death and understanding that we’re not promised tomorrow, that something sudden can happen at any time.

[00:29:35] Again, I don’t say that to be pessimistic. I’m just being realistic. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow or even our next breath. And so I think what that really has done for me, in walking through my daughter’s death and my dad’s death, is realizing my own life is but a vapor, and I want to really make my time on earth count because I don’t know how many moments I will have. And I want to follow Jesus, and I want to do things for Him because I love Him.

[00:30:03] And it’s not because I’m trying to earn my salvation, it’s because I’m so grateful for my salvation. And really, when we look at life and we realize we can’t take money with us, we can’t take our things with us when we go to Heaven. The only thing that is eternal is our relationship with Jesus and our loved ones in Christ and our babies in Christ that will be in Heaven with us forever. 

[00:30:26] And so it’s really changed my perspective on ministry, on money, on my heart posture toward things. And I’m not perfect by any means. and I definitely feel like my sinful heart is attracted to things and wanting nicer, better, bigger things.

[00:30:43] But I think when I really sit and think about the treasures that are eternal, that we can store up for ourselves Heavenly treasures, I actually have an appendix in the back of my book, Appendix 4, about the different crowns that you can receive in Heaven because of your service for Christ. 

[00:31:01] And I think it’s beautiful to think that all of those things that we do in this world, all of our good works and all of those things, and Paul told Timothy to “command those ‘rich in this present age’, not to put their hope in wealth. He urged Timothy to remind them to instead do good, be rich in good deeds and be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.” 

I just love that. I love that encouragement, that one day this earth will be burned up in fire and we will be living on the New Earth in the New Heaven, and we will be spending eternity with Jesus and our loved ones in Christ.

[00:31:43] And we really want to be focusing on that coming Kingdom, because if you think about your life in terms of how much time you spend on earth compared to Heaven, the majority of our eternal life is going to be in eternity. 

Our lives on earth are going to be so short, and so we really want to focus our hearts and our minds and our eyes on Heaven, and understanding that all of these trials that we’re walking through, all of the suffering, that there will be eternal glory that comes from it.

[00:32:12] And I just love this verse in 2 Corinthians 4:17, about your “light and momentary troubles are achieving for you an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 

I don’t know about you, but that is just so encouraging to me to think that one day all of this will be no more, and all that will matter is that we believed in Jesus and that we’re saved by the blood of Jesus.

[00:32:37] And one day we’ll be there forever and ever, and we’ll never have to be separated from our children or loved ones again because there will be no more sin or death or pain or crying, for the old order of things has passed away. 

[00:32:57] “One day you will walk with Jesus on streets of pure gold on the New Earth. When you see the splendor of what God created out of your heartache, you will rejoice that you suffered for the sake of it. All the pain and trials you experienced living on a sin-soaked earth will fade into distant memories. As you hold your baby in Heaven in the presence of Jesus, you will know your faith – tested through trials – was worth more than gold.” And that was a direct quote from my book, the last paragraph of this chapter. 

[00:33:18] So let’s now do our journal prompt, which is Time With Jesus. And I ask you the question, “What areas of your life need pruning? How do you see Jesus sanctifying you through this season? Surrender your heart to His hard but holy work.”

[00:33:38] And then the Healing Step is that I want you to read the book of 1 Peter, which is the inspiration behind this chapter’s title and content. It’s only five chapters long and is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Peter’s words are pure gold, pun intended, and contain so much truth, wisdom, and hope. 

[00:33:57] Let me now close us in prayer.

Jesus, I thank You so much that all of our pain will not be wasted, that You are doing a work inside our hearts and our souls. You are sanctifying us, pruning us, and refining us to be more like You. And because of that, You are developing in us a spiritual maturity for us to be able to face other trials in this world, and ultimately for us to be able to use our grief for good and to comfort and help other people on their own life journey.

[00:34:28] And so, Jesus, I pray that You would help us want to serve You out of our gratitude for our salvation, that You would help shift our perspective to see that all of these things that we are walking through in this deep grief over losing a baby, that You are working something good inside of us and You can and will bring something good from it.

[00:34:48] Remind us that our faith is worth more than gold. We want You to bring a harvest out of our pain. We know that You can, that You will continue to walk with us in this valley, that You are our Good Shepherd and You will not leave us, that through every single trial You will prove Yourself faithful. 

So Jesus, thank You so much for being who You are. Thank You for Your sanctifying work. Thank You that our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that will outweigh them all. We love You, Lord Jesus. It’s in Your Name we pray. Amen. 

Be sure to tune in for the next episode, which will cover Chapter 13, With the Same Comfort: When You Want to Use Your Grief For Good.

Ashley Opliger: [00:35:31] Thank you for joining me for today’s episode of the Cradled in Hope Podcast Book Club.

New episodes covering each chapter of the book will release on the 1st, 15th, and 22nd of each month through the end of the year—so be sure to subscribe and follow along.

If you don’t have your copy of Cradled in Hope, you can find it wherever books are sold. It’s a biblical guide for grieving moms after miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss—filled with vulnerable emotion, biblical wisdom, practical guidance, and hope-filled encouragement.

To accompany the book, I’ve also created the Cradled in Hope Guided Journal—a beautiful companion that includes space to write your responses to the discussion questions, full Scripture passages from each chapter, and additional reflection pages and guided charts to help you process your grief and draw you closer to Jesus. You can download the free digital version on my author website at AshleyOpliger.com/Journal, or order the printed version on Amazon if you prefer to write by hand.

Until next time, know that you are not alone. You are seen, loved, and Cradled in Hope.