feeling-abandoned-by-God

Motherhood is supposed to be a place of joy. But when you’re raising a child with autism or other disabilities, the seasons are different. Sometimes, they feel unending. And sometimes… it feels like God is far away.

You’re not imagining it. You can love God deeply, pray faithfully, and still feel abandoned. And Scripture understands that.

“Why, Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?” — Psalm 10:1

Notice that this isn’t written by someone who walked away from God. It’s written by someone still in relationship with Him—someone being honest about their feelings of loneliness in the conversation.

This is where we begin: not to fix your feelings, not to spiritualize them away, and not to shame you for them—but to name them. And to let Scripture tell the truth about them.

Why Hard Seasons Create Feelings of Abandonment

Raising a child with disabilities is not a single hardship. It’s a chronic season. There’s no clear finish line, no guarantee that it gets easier, no clean resolution. And when suffering is chronic, it can distort how we experience faith:

You pray constantly and feel unheard.
You advocate tirelessly yet still question your decisions.
You hold joy and sorrow at the same time.

And slowly—sometimes quietly—you begin to think:

“If God is good… why does this feel so lonely?”

Psalm 10 gives language to that exact moment. Not accusation. Not disbelief. But relational honesty.

Feeling Abandoned Does NOT Mean You’re Failing Spiritually

Many moms carry a fear they don’t need to carry—that feeling abandoned by God means you’re doing faith wrong. Scripture says otherwise.

“I said in my alarm, ‘I am cut off from Your sight!’ But You heard my cry for mercy.” — Psalm 31:22

The feeling was real. The conclusion was wrong. Fear may make you feel abandoned, but God is still present. Exhaustion distorts perception. Grief lies. Burnout can sound like truth—but Scripture acknowledges these feelings as seasons, not sin.

Anger Toward God Is Biblical

If you’re not just sad but angry, Scripture makes room for that, too. Many of us are angry that:

Our child struggles
Our life looks so different than we imagined
Our prayers haven’t changed outcomes
God hasn’t intervened in ways we expected

You may have been told that good Christians don’t feel this way—but Scripture disagrees. Psalm 13 asks:

“How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever?”

Even Jesus cried out in apparent abandonment. Anger doesn’t disqualify your relationship with God. Silence does. Often, anger is grief that hasn’t found words yet—and the Bible acknowledges that.

What This Season Is Actually Doing in You

This isn’t about saying “God gave you this to teach you a lesson.” That’s not biblical—and it’s not kind. But Scripture does show that God shapes people inside suffering, not after it.

Psalm 10 moves from questioning God’s presence to a clearer vision. Similarly, chronic motherhood challenges cultivate:

Discernment
Depth
Authority
Compassion
A faith that doesn’t depend on outcomes

Not because the season is “good,” but because God is present even when He feels far.