13 | Cradled in Hope Book Club | Ch 12 | Ashley Opliger

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.

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EPISODE SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT:
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