The do’s and don’ts of helping the hurting. by Virginia Jelinek “I looked for . . . comforters, but I found none” (Psalm 69:20). The day my husband, John, and I traveled homeward from a trip, our car lost traction on a slippery road. We were hit by an oncoming van. My life forever…
Author: nowwhat
Miscarriage: A Secret Sorrow
by Virginia A. Johnson “Ten, nine, eight . . . ,” recited the dispassionate voice. What’s ahead for me? Could all this be a mistake? What if the baby . . . the baby. . . . The questions screamed inside me. My frightened thoughts tried to hold on to something safe, trusting, and…
What Not to Do
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…
Links in God’s Chain of Compassion
Do’s and don’ts when dealing with another’s grief. by PeggySue Wells Three days after our daughter died, my sister-in-law telephoned from out of state. “I’ve been trying to get your brother to call,” she apologized, “but he doesn’t know what to say.” My brother’s discomfort is common. Loss and its accompanying deep grief make…
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…
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…
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…
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…