#38 Life Is Messy (Part 1): Mike Potter on Faith, Suffering, and Hope in Dark Places

In this deeply honest conversation, Stewart sits down with Mike Potter to explore the personal journey behind his book Life Is Messy: Hope in Dark Places. Mike shares how a ‘perfect storm’ of loss, leadership pressure, illness, and unresolved questions brought him to a breaking point in 2015–16. As a long-time educator and school leader, he opens up about the cost of always being strong for others, the silence of God at times in suffering, and the unhelpful myth that faith should protect us from all pain.This episode does not offer neat answers. Instead, it makes space for the real wrestle many people carry quietly. It’s a conversation about broken hearts, resilient faith, forbidden questions, and the kind of hope that can hold us when life doesn’t make sense.This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation, focusing on Mike’s personal story and inner reckoning. In Part 2, the conversation turns toward leadership, schools, and how suffering reshapes the way we live, lead and care for others.In this episode, you’ll discover:What happens when buried grief and unanswered questions resurface all at onceWhy the belief that faith guarantees protection from suffering can quietly collapse under pressureThe ‘forbidden questions’ many people carry about prayer, healing, and fairnessHow leadership expectations can make it harder to admit, “I’m not okay!”Why silence from God can feel unbearable, and what that silence revealed over timeThe danger of blaming suffering on ‘not enough faith’ and how damaging that can beWhat it meant for Mike to finally say out loud that he was not copingHow hope can still exist even when nothing is fixed or explained… and much more.Need Support Right NowIf some of this conversation resonates with where you’re at right now, you don’t have to carry that alone. Help is available.In AustraliaLifeline – click here or call 13 11 14Mental Health Triage Service - 13 14 65 Beyond Blue – click hereSuicide Call Back Service – click here or call 1300 659 467For overseas linksHelp section on the Resilient Souls website hereAbout the Guest:Mike Potter is a long-time educator, school leader, and author based in Adelaide, South Australia. He has served in education leadership for over two decades and is the author of Life Is Messy: Hope in Dark Places, a raw and compassionate exploration of faith, suffering, and resilience.Mike speaks candidly from lived experience about grief, illness, leadership pressure, and the slow work of finding hope again without denial or spiritual shortcuts.Resources & LinksMike' s Book 'Life is Messy: Hope in Dark Places' can be purchased here or find the eBook version hereComing Up Next:In Part 2 of our conversation, Mike Potter reflects on how these experiences we talked about here have reshaped his leadership, particularly in schools and communities carrying unspoken grief. We explore what leaders and communities need to understand about suffering, vulnerability, and creating cultures where people are not forced to pretend they are okay.Explore More from Resilient Souls: Resilient Souls ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠Resilient Souls ⁠⁠Podcast⁠⁠ or search ‘Resilient Souls’ wherever you get your podcastsResilient Souls ⁠⁠Blog on Substack⁠⁠Stewart’s ⁠⁠Book⁠⁠Follow Resilient Souls on: ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Instagram /⁠⁠ ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠Get Involved or Reach Out: ⁠⁠⁠ Join the Community⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Book Stewart to Speak⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Work⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact Us⁠⁠Need Help? In ⁠⁠Australia⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Overseas⁠⁠