Living Out My Daughter’s Favorite Verse: A Love That Won’t Let Go

Some Bible verses just hit differently, you know?  For me, Romans 8:38-39 is one of those.  Sure, it’s powerful and beautifully written, but there’s more to it for me—it was my late daughter’s favorite verse.  My granddaughter found it marked in her mom’s Bible as her go-to passage, and now every time I read it, it feels like she’s right there with me.  I can hear her voice, her laugh, and her deep belief that God’s love was the real deal.

Honestly, that verse has been a lifeline for me.  Between battling cancer and losing my daughter, life has felt like one big, messy storm.  But this passage?  It’s been like God’s way of whispering, “I’m still here, and I’ve got you,” even when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

“Nothing Can Separate Us”

Paul doesn’t hold back in these verses:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

It’s like he’s saying, “Bring me your worst.  Think of the scariest, most gut-wrenching thing you can imagine—go ahead, I’ll wait.  Even that can’t separate you from God’s love.”

I’ve tested this out.  Cancer?  Didn’t separate me.  Losing my daughter?  As much as it wrecked me, God’s love was still there, holding me together when I was falling apart.

And I’ve added my own little list:

• What about when I stopped praying because I was too mad or too tired?  Still loved.
• Or when I sat in my car eating cookies and crying?  Love still intact.
• What about those days when grief made me question if I even had faith left?  God didn’t flinch.

Death Doesn’t Win

One of the hardest parts of losing someone is the fear that the connection is gone.  But these verses?  They flip that idea on its head.  Paul says not even death can separate us from God’s love.

To me, that means my daughter is still held in that same unshakable love.  She’s not lost to God.  And neither am I.

Does it erase the pain?  No.  But it softens the blow, like God’s saying, “She’s with Me, and I’m with you.  We’re all still connected because My love never ends.”

When Life Feels Wobbly

Paul also mentions the present and the future can’t separate us from God’s love.  And let me tell you, I’m a professional worrier about both.

The present?  Some days it’s a disaster.  “God, do You see this?  Are You sure You’ve got this under control?”  And the future?  Don’t even get me started.  I’ve imagined every worst-case scenario you can think of.

But God’s love doesn’t hinge on me having it all together.  It stays steady, even when I’m not.

A Love That Covers EVERYTHING

I love how Paul throws in that last line: “nor anything else in all creation.”  He’s basically saying, “Look, no loopholes.  Nothing you can name can separate you from God’s love.  Not a single thing.”

Sometimes I picture Paul standing in front of me, like a coach, saying, “Hey, you with the tear-streaked face, clutching the cookie crumbs—this is for you, too.  Don’t forget it!”

Living It Out

Living out this truth isn’t always easy.  There are days when grief feels heavier than hope, when I wonder if I’ll ever feel “normal” again.  But then I think about my daughter.  She didn’t just read these verses; she lived them.  She believed, with everything in her, that God’s love was bigger than anything life could throw her way.

So now, on my hardest days, I’m trying to live out her favorite verse.  I remind myself that God’s love is holding me, even when I don’t feel it.  That nothing—not cancer, not loss, not my doubts—can ever change that.

And on those days when I want to give up, I picture her smiling at me, probably shaking her head and saying, “Dad, you know this.  God’s got you.  Stop overthinking it.”

Final Thoughts

If you’re still with me, let me leave you with this: no matter what you’re facing, God’s love isn’t going anywhere.  Romans 8:38-39 is proof.

Whether it’s grief, fear, or just a really bad day, God’s love is big enough to hold you.  It doesn’t run.  It doesn’t quit.

So grab some cookies (or ice cream) and sit with these verses for a bit.  Let them remind you that nothing—not one single thing—can separate you from the love of God.