{"id":10497,"date":"2026-04-10T12:58:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T12:58:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/?p=10497"},"modified":"2026-04-10T12:58:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T12:58:30","slug":"ben-sasse-opens-up-about-baffling-pain-of-leaving-14-year-old-son-behind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/2026\/04\/ben-sasse-opens-up-about-baffling-pain-of-leaving-14-year-old-son-behind.html","title":{"rendered":"Ben Sasse Opens Up About \u2018Baffling\u2019 Pain of Leaving 14-Year-Old Son Behind"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Gage Skidmore \/ Flickr | Inset: Focus on the Family \/ YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse is facing one of life\u2019s hardest realities with remarkable honesty and faith: preparing to say goodbye to his family as he battles terminal cancer.<\/p>\n

In a recent interview with Focus on the Family President Jim Daly, Sasse reflected on suffering, grief, and the deep personal pain of knowing his 14-year-old son, Breck, will soon grow up without his father. Diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer last December and given only months to live, Sasse spoke candidly about both his heartbreak and his hope in God.<\/p>\n

\u201cI obviously don\u2019t understand it,\u201d Sasse said of suffering. \u201cBut Jesus took on incarnate flesh\u2026 He also suffered all the punishment that Adam and we, in Adam, deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather than trying to explain away pain, Sasse pointed to Christ\u2019s own suffering as the foundation for his faith. He described suffering as part of the Christian journey\u2014something God can use to shape and refine believers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd though it\u2019s terrible, there is something very special in being able to be united with Christ\u2019s suffering\u2026 because it helps us cleave away from all the idolatries we\u2019ve built as we fell in love with the creation, instead of the Creator,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Still, Sasse did not minimize the emotional weight of his situation. During the conversation, he became visibly emotional when speaking about his children\u2014especially his youngest son.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe part that\u2019s most baffling is, why will Breck not have a dad at 15 or 17 or 19?\u201d he said. \u201cAnd yet, God knows exactly what He\u2019s doing\u2026 But it hurts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drawing from the words of late theologian R.C. Sproul, Sasse emphasized his trust in God\u2019s sovereignty, even when life feels incomprehensible.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod is not uncertain about anything that has happened, is happening or will happen,\u201d he said. \u201cHe will weave together that mosaic for our own good\u2026 He will use this for good.\u201d<\/p>\n

That confidence doesn\u2019t erase the pain\u2014but it gives it purpose. Sasse said his \u201cdeepest aches\u201d come from leaving his family behind, though he holds tightly to the promise of eternal reunion.<\/p>\n

When asked what he would say to others struggling to believe in God\u2019s goodness during suffering, Sasse offered a grounded and humble response.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod tells us in Scripture everything we need to know for faith and life, but He doesn\u2019t tell us everything we want to know,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd He is God, and to whom else would we go?\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cSo, I trust Him because He is who He is, and He has been faithful. And so, I won\u2019t get every answer this side of eternity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even in the face of death, Sasse spoke with conviction about what lies ahead for believers.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeath is an enemy. Death is wicked. But it\u2019s the final enemy\u2026 And after that, there will be no more tears,\u201d he said. \u201cWe will know that God used it for His good.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his final months, Sasse has continued to share this message of hope, determined to \u201credeem the time\u201d and point others to the saving work of Jesus Christ\u2014even as he walks through unimaginable loss.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse is facing one of life\u2019s hardest realities with remarkable honesty and faith: preparing to say goodbye to his family as he battles terminal cancer. In a recent interview with Focus on the Family President Jim Daly, Sasse reflected on suffering, grief, and the deep personal pain of knowing his 14-year-old…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":10500,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nBen Sasse Opens Up About \u2018Baffling\u2019 Pain of Leaving 14-Year-Old Son Behind<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ben Sasse shares the \u201cbaffling\u201d pain of leaving his 14-year-old son behind\u2014and why he still trusts God will use it for good.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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