When something painful happens, it is easy to wonder: Did I do something wrong? Is God punishing me?

Bobby McGraw sits down with Suzanne Nadell to explore that question through her story of two cancer diagnoses, years of uncertainty, and a faith that changed along the way.

Suzanne talks honestly about being angry with God, powering through pain, and learning to slow down and process what was happening. She reflects on how suffering clarified her purpose and taught her to receive help from others.

For anyone facing a diagnosis, disappointment, or season that feels unfair, this conversation is a reminder that hardship is not proof that God has abandoned you.

• A painful season is not proof that God is punishing you.
• You can be angry or confused with God and still turn toward Him.
• God can bring good from painful circumstances without pretending the pain itself is good.
• Sometimes healing means slowing down instead of outrunning what hurts.
• Other people matter in hard seasons. Let them help carry the weight.

00:00 - Welcome to Suzanne Nadell
03:43 - Growing Up With Faith That Felt Like Rules
06:51 - Finding a Faith of Her Own
08:03 - Suzanne’s First Cancer Diagnosis
10:25 - Facing Cancer as a Young Mom
12:34 - What Cancer Did to Her Faith
14:52 - A Second Cancer Diagnosis
16:20 - When Suzanne Got Angry With God
18:24 - What She Did With the Anger
21:02 - The Moment She Finally Stopped and Felt It
24:23 - Is God Punishing Me?
26:14 - What Romans 8:28 Meant to Suzanne
28:23 - How Suffering Changed Her Faith
30:14 - Following the Nudges She Had Ignored
32:04 - Why God’s Timing Can Feel So Slow
34:31 - What to Do in the Middle of a Diagnosis
37:22 - Letting Other People Show Up
40:09 - How Suzanne’s Calling Became Clearer
42:25 - She Leads Church and Finding Your People
44:12 - Remember That You Are Loved

• Wired to Lead - Suzanne’s book about leadership lessons from the newsroom and leading in the church: https://www.amazon.com/Wired-Lead-Being-Leader-Church/dp/0827243464
• SuzanneNadell.com - Suzanne’s book, speaking, and current work: http://SuzanneNadell.com
• Called To All of It - A program for women navigating faith, family, and career: https://suzannenadell.com/called-to-all-of-it-1
• She Leads Church - A community and conference for Christian women in leadership: https://www.sheleadschurch.com/
• CaringBridge - The online journal Suzanne used during her cancer experiences: https://www.caringbridge.org/
• Rooted - A church program Suzanne participated in around her second diagnosis.
• Romans 8:28 - A passage central to how Suzanne understood God working through the good and painful parts of her story.

Follow You Asked, Let's Talk and share it with someone going through something hard and wondering where God is in the middle of it.