Never Too Far Gone

Some stories stay with me. My discussion with Sam Hodges was one of those stories.

As I listened to her talk about questioning faith, walking away from church, struggling with addiction, and eventually finding her way back to Jesus Christ, I kept thinking about one truth over and over again:

No one is ever too far gone for God.

Not the person questioning everything.
Not the child who has walked away.
Not the person battling addiction.
Not the soul who feels disconnected from heaven.

God never stops pursuing His children.

Sam’s story is such a powerful reminder that even when we believe we are lost, heaven still sees us clearly.

In this episode:

• Why asking hard questions can actually strengthen faith

• How addiction and rebellion did not stop God from pursuing her

• The difference between feeling the Spirit and recognizing it

• The Rome Temple experience that completely changed her life

• Learning to trust God’s timing, process, and purpose

Sam shared that growing up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she constantly asked questions. Not simple questions, but hard ones about doctrine, church history, authority, women in the church, and faith itself.

At first, those questions came from a sincere desire to understand. But over time, frustration grew when she felt like people could not answer what she was asking.

I think so many people can relate to that feeling.

Sometimes we assume faith means certainty all the time. But real conversion requires us to wrestle personally with what we believe. Eventually, we all reach a point where borrowed testimonies are no longer enough.

What I appreciated most was Sam’s honesty. She admitted that her questioning eventually became antagonistic. She stopped searching for understanding and started trying to prove people wrong.

And slowly, her relationship with faith disappeared.

Not all at once.
Not dramatically.
It simply faded from her life.

As Sam drifted away from church activity, she and her close friend group all began making choices that eventually led them into addiction together.

One thing she said deeply impacted me:

Even during that time, she still felt the Spirit.

She just did not recognize it as the Spirit.

I had honestly never thought about it that way before.

So often we think God completely leaves when we stop living the way we should. But Sam’s experience was a reminder that Christ never stops standing at the door. The Spirit still prompts. God still warns. Heaven still reaches.

Sometimes we are not abandoned by God.
Sometimes we have simply become disconnected from recognizing His voice.

And I think that distinction matters so much.

One of the things I loved most about this conversation was hearing Sam describe how personally God communicates with His children.

She explained that she is a writer and that words matter deeply to her. Scriptures became tangible evidence of God’s love because they felt like written reminders she could return to again and again.

I loved that perspective.

God understands our hearts individually. He knows how we learn, how we process, and how we receive love.

That is why testimonies look different for everyone.

Some people connect deeply through study. Others through service, worship music, prayer, nature, or quiet impressions. God knows how to speak to each of us personally because He created us personally.

After years away from church activity, Sam traveled to Europe with her family. While visiting Rome, her dad felt strongly impressed that they needed to visit the Rome Temple before it closed for the evening.

That decision changed everything.

As she listened to a joyful sister missionary speak about Christ, she found herself wondering:

“What does she have that I don’t?”

Later that evening, Sam described feeling completely overwhelmed by the Spirit in a way she had never experienced before. She immediately texted her cousin and said:

“I think I’m supposed to serve a mission.”

And from that moment forward, her entire life shifted direction.

Within weeks she was preparing mission papers, returning to church activity, and moving forward with complete faith despite years of distance from God.

Listening to her share that experience reminded me that God can change hearts in moments we never expect.

No amount of wandering disqualifies someone from grace.

One of the most beautiful parts of Sam’s story is that the very experiences she once felt ashamed of became the exact experiences God used to bless others.

While serving a mission in Tennessee, she worked with many people struggling with addiction, questions, and difficult life circumstances. Because she had lived through similar struggles herself, she understood them in a way others sometimes could not.

God used her pain to create connection.

And honestly, I think that is true for all of us.

The seasons we wish we could erase often become the places where we are able to comfort, strengthen, and relate to others most deeply.

Your story matters.
Your struggle matters.
Your testimony matters.

Not because you are perfect, but because God can use every part of your journey for good.

One of the strongest messages throughout this conversation was learning how to trust God even when life does not make sense.

That is not easy.

Trusting the process can feel impossible when prayers seem unanswered, when loved ones walk away, or when healing takes longer than we hoped.

But Sam shared something simple and powerful that helped her rebuild her relationship with God:

Constant prayer.

Not just formal prayers, but ongoing conversations with God throughout the day. In the car. On walks. In moments of confusion and fear.

Through that continual connection, she learned how to recognize His voice again.

And honestly, I think that is where trust begins.

You cannot trust someone you do not know.

Prayer creates relationship. Relationship builds trust. And trust allows us to keep moving forward even when we cannot yet see the outcome.

If there is one truth I hope women take from this episode, it is this:

No one is ever too far gone.

Not your child.
Not your spouse.
Not your friend.
Not you.

God knows how to reach His children in ways we never could.

Sam’s story is proof that heaven continues pursuing us even when we stop pursuing God. His love is patient. His timing is personal. And His grace reaches further than we often believe possible.

Sometimes the people we worry about most are still being quietly led home by a God who understands them perfectly.

This conversation reminded me that becoming rooted in Christ rarely happens without struggle.

Growth comes through wrestling.
Through questions.
Through pain.
Through surrender.
Through grace.

Like an acorn breaking open beneath the soil, sometimes the seasons that feel like falling apart are actually the beginning of becoming.

And no matter how far we wander, God never stops calling us home.

Until next time, be still, believe, and become.