Books, articles, quotes and support for those who are grieving the loss a loved one. ” . . . the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:4
The roots of the stump passed right through where the rose bush grew. Collateral damage. I knew it would be useless to argue. He dug up the lush and beautiful rose bush and we stuck it in a barrel of water. Finally, all the roots of the stump were out, leaving a crater about five …
Continue reading The Rose Bush
Most of my book was written very early in my grief. These excerpts are not how it is for me now. Time has softened the blow and the Lord has carried me through the worst of it. I share for the sake of those who are just beginning life without their loved one. ~~~ "I …
Why does the sound of the wind break my heart?It carries away the long-ago laughterOf yesterday’s childrenAnd flings it beyond my reachThe wind runs without a careAlong trails blazed by my mighty hunterBrushing over the fields of your boyhoodAs if your absence does not matterYesterday’s gentle breeze returns empty-handedFierce and without mercyIts icy sting freezes …
Continue reading The Sound of the Wind
Grieving is difficult, exhausting work that can become counterproductive if indulged in overmuch. There comes a time when sorrow and anguish are not enough anymore. Not that it wears off, or grieving gets easier. It is just that I have come to an awareness that sorrow is not getting me anywhere. I see that my …
Continue reading The Nearness of God
From my book, Never Ceasing: God's Faithfulness in Grief
Our God would not allow this terrible pain unless he had a very, very good reason. I trust Him for that. There is nothing else. I trust Him because He is good and because He does what He says He will do. He is real, and He sees our pain. We follow Him, not because …
Continue reading Why Trust God? Why Follow Him?
Yes, it's normal. We are terrified of forgetting them. Afraid that if we let go of that horrible moment when our child died, that it will be like they didn't exist at all. The pain is tremendous, but early in our grief we can't seem to help wanting to stay right there in the past …
Continue reading The Fear of Forgetting
While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; …
Continue reading The Most Important Thing
Here is another short excerpt from my book Never Ceasing: God’s Faithfulness in Grief Forward. That is the direction I need to be moving. Forward is where our son is. Forward is where I will see my Savior, face to face. Moving forward is not the same as moving on. Moving on is putting the …
Here is another short excerpt from my book Never Ceasing: God’s Faithfulness in Grief It is the most trying week of my life—physically exhausting, emotionally grueling. I am thankful for everyone who comes to pay their respects and make sure we eat well. I am thankful for every single gift that is sent to us …
Continue reading The First Week
Here is another short excerpt from my book Never Ceasing: God's Faithfulness in Grief I start preparing for a trip to the hospital. I put our healthcare ministry card in my purse and also an extra set of keys to Hans’s car in case he has left for the hospital already and has his keys …
Continue reading The Safest Place for Him to Be
Hans drives to the highway, presumably listening to the engine. He travels the last quarter mile of life’s road, planned for him by God before the foundation of the world. He drives his car down the dirt driveway where he learned to walk and to run and to ride a bike. I often wonder what …
Continue reading Life’s Last Quarter Mile
Over the course of that day, the day of the crash, Hans drives at least four times over the spot from which he will leave us for Heaven. It was to that very spot, at the end of our driveway, that Hans would cajole me into taking him as a little boy so he could …
Continue reading The Place of Departure
Late Saturday afternoon, the boys built a fire on the creek ice out behind our house to burn up branches from the trees they felled that day. As I washed the dishes, I watched them from my kitchen window. I saw Hans sitting alone at the edge of the darkness on a small pile of …
Continue reading Young Man Alone
There is no getting around the fact that losing a loved one is a painful experience and a legitimate reason for being sad. Sometimes, (especially when we have been hurting for what seems like a very long time), we, or someone who cares about us, may wonder if we are OK. I am not a …
Continue reading Depression and the Child of God
You Can Trust Him 