When we come in contact with a person who is suffering, do we leave her feeling enCOURAGEd or more wounded? That depends on what we say or do. Below is a list of what to watch for. Avoid clichés. To say, “God must have needed another flower in His garden” reduces our great God to…
Author: nowwhat
Gifts for the Griever
by Lauraine Snelling “How are you doing — really?” my pastor-friend asked. “It’s been three years since your daughter died, hasn’t it?” I nodded. It would have been easy to say, “Oh, I’m fine,” but I had promised to be honest with him when he admitted needing help in his ministry to the grieving….
Laid to Rest
When a sad fairy tale comes true. by Sandra Carpenter Death was Grandma’s hobby. To her, funerals were a celebration of life — heavy on the word celebration. White bun pinned tight, she attended every funeral for every associate she’d ever known, and some she didn’t. I recall being dragged along to a distant…
Dreams Renewed
A change in the seasons brings a change in the spirit. by Lonna Enox I have seldom found myself in the slump that I have suffered this fall. As the weeks pass, I seek strength from within myself to survive. I pray, but my prayers feel empty. Writing has long been my joy, but…
Because of Bryan
Lasting lessons from the greatest grief. by Lonna Enox Sounds filtered through the painful haze. Lights, out of focus, flashed overhead, and a hum filled the room. “Knock me out, please,” a voice, strangely like yet unlike my own, pleaded. “I don’t want to hurt anymore.” A gray cloud engulfed me, but the sounds…
Faith and Farewells
How one family discovered the presenceof God in personal loss. by Lettie Kirkpatrick Burress The doctor’s silence thundered through the telephone wires. My husband’s first biopsy results were negative, so we had assumed the secondary testing would also reveal nothing. When I heard Dr. Coleman’s voice, I cheerfully responded, “Well, do we have good news?”…
A Daughter Forever
God reveals Himself in the midst of darkness. by Constance B. Fink The phone startled me as I put the final touches on my weekly leadership training presentation. “Hi, sweetheart.” It was Mom. I could almost see her smile. “I have bad news,” she told me. My heart pounded, and I put down my…
Working for Love
From all business to all blessing, thanks to Christ. by Stacy Farrell As business manager in a law firm, I did my best to play the part of a successful woman: spike heels, skirt above the knee, expensive perfume, diamond studs in my ears. Work was my way of establishing identity, love, and security….
Without a Doubt
How to believe in Jesus Christ and make God smile. by J. Grant Swank, Jr. “Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27, NIV). How many people refuse to believe in Jesus Christ? Too many. Some of them put themselves in the center of their universe — like a god. Some worship things and success. But…
Won by Love
A Jew, a Gentile, and the good news. by Eddie Lieberman as told to Muriel Larson Now I’m really in for it! I thought despondently. At the age of 19 I had topped off a half dozen arrests with a crime against the Post Office — a federal offense. As I sat on my…