If you came over from Encouragement for Today, welcome!
For the 3,000+ of you following week #2 study, we are pausing today to give away a copy of The Mended Heart: God’s Healing for Your Broken Places. We’ll jump right back into our discussion tomorrow!
We’ll also choose a winner of an autographed copy of The Mended Heart from the comments in today’s post.
For those of you who are grieving a loss, like my friend Amber, may I share something that a new friend said this week?
Claudia is following our study, and she sent me a picture of her sitting in her bed, sticky notes all around her feet, a copy of The Mended Heart in front of her. Claudia lost her husband too young, and her heart is hurting.
She says, “I’m in chapter 4 (Amber and Callie’s chapter). It is speaking to me and I believe a little piece of my broken heart is healing! I can’t stop underlining and writing comments in the margin. I believe this chapter will be a go-to by which I can measure my progress out of this dark place.”
Writing Chapter Four of The Mended Heart was the hardest chapter to write.
How do you find wholeness after such a significant loss?
Amber and another friend, Jennifer Kennedy Dean, came alongside me, both who have experienced deep and unexpected loss, but who exude joy and peace.
As they told their story they did not diminish their loss, or the place that their loved ones hold in their heart. But both shared that they have come to realize that there is comfort in a Savior who pursues from the cross, knowing in advance that we would all need Him in our hour of unavoidable pain.
If you are grieving today, may these verses be a prayer over your hurting heart. Put your name in them. Make them your own, for they are your safe place to find comfort.
For those of you who are following The Mended Heart study, these verses are also for you. As you heal from the hurt inflicted by people, these are promises of rest, but also renewed life and strength!
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29, NIV)
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. Bot those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31, NLT)
I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27, NLT)
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13, NLT)
I’ll see those of you who have joined The Mended Heart study right back here tomorrow!
I’d love to give those of you who are joining me for the first time a gift — download the first chapter of The Mended Heart here just for you. It shares three things that you DON’T have to do to find a mended heart.
Grieving is a journey that none of us are ready for. It’s been two and a half years since my husband went home and I miss hIm and struggle with mending my heart but it’s selfish because he is whole and not suffering.
This struggle is real, I’m a single mom by chose , I have raised my daughter by myself, no emotional support from her father. I chose to say single until she leave for college. I an just emotionally drain at this point in my life. Thankfully you for the message came over my email about Jesus weeps with you just when I needed to hear a word. I really need to read your book. SIncerely, Debra
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I really need this book to pass on to my daughter-in-law. She is in so much pain from the loss of her mother. It’s palpable…you can really feel it. I want to help her.
Thank you so much,
EB
Just lost my husband of 44 years – 4 days it will be 2 months – the loss is so weighty. Knowing that he is with His Father is comforting but the emptiness and loss for me are heavy.
I can’t tell you what reading this in my inbox this morning means to me. It is as if God had you write this just for me at this moment. My beautiful, feisty, 23 year old little sister was called home suddenly and tragically Monday morning. The pain, grief, and anguish is so raw and it goes right to my core. I know my own mom feels the same way Amber did and still does at times.
My first child, Lucas, was stillborn nearly 9 years ago. Christian books, Christian radio, the Bible and our small group were life savers for us in our most desperate times. This book sounds like a wonderful resource for so many people in my life who have experienced so much pain here. Thank you for your ministry.
My dear sweet Mother suffered the death of my brother who was murdered 26 years ago, he was only 27 years old. Just last month my sister was called home unexpectedly in her sleep. My Mom is in so much pain from her grief. This book would be a blessing for her. It would be a beautiful book study for her and I ( I am the only surviving child she has and my father went home 23 years ago).
I lost my best friend of 34 years two years ago to staff infection from surgery she had. To this day, I still try to pick up the phone and call her on my long ride home from school at night and then I remember that she is not hear. My heart aches greatly from this loss and some days are harder than others at times because I miss her so deeply. A year before her death, I lost my very dear friend of 13 years. Butch, who was one of the Godliest men I had ever met. Everyone he ran into, he spoke of Christ and His love for us. Butch took his own life because his depression got the better of him. I beat myself up continuously that if I had only seen the signs, maybe I could have helped him still be hear today. I know both of these precious people are with Christ today and I will see them again – I just have to continue to run to Jesus when the down days come and remember He understands my pain. I would love to have this book to help me come to real healing where I can let go of some of the pain I carry around on a daily basis. Thank you for the wonderful verses you posted – I have definitely made some of them mine personally!!! In Christ, Susie
Good morning Suzie! I woke today, grabbed my coffee and before I went upstairs for my quiet time I clicked on the Proverbs31 daily devotion “Jesus mourns with you.” And as my eyes began to fill with tears, I thanked Jesus for the devotion and this blog post as well. Today I will attend the funeral of a beloved former student, age 17, called home by Jesus this past Sunday. I met David when he was two and our history together in and out of school spans 15 years…a short time in the scheme of life here on this earth…yet every year cherished and filled with memories. It was medical negligence/error which adds to my grief. The family is faith filled but grieving beyond my heart’s sorrow. Your words of Martha and Mary, of how they approached Jesus in their sorrow and His response…”Jesus wept” bring me great comfort this morning as I too ached with the question “Why?” It is not for me to understand but to take comfort in the knowing that Jesus is mourning with us. He is weeping as we weep. He is comforting us with the knowing that David is with Him now and the joy that we who believe too will have eternal life and be together with David once again according to God’s divine plan. It is during this season of Lent that we prepare to walk with Jesus, experience His Passion, His Cross, His gift to us of new life with Him and in Him through His death and Resurrection, and His sending of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, after His Ascension to our Father in Heaven! Praise God! I thank God for my time with David and pray that the family will also be comforted by His great Love and His grace. Amen! Thank you Suzie for sharing these words with us! I am going to try to get a copy of the book. I had downloaded the intro and chapter. I am feeling in need of the rest of it now more than ever!
Thank you for sharing Amber’s story to be real with Jesus. When I let go of survival mode behaviour I’ve used at times and trust my emotions to the Christ who knows our suffering I find great healing and softening of the hard places in my heart. I would also want to share this book with my friend who recently lost her husband unexpectedly.
Thank you for these words of encouragement. The losses we experience are so real & raw & full of emotion. There is a temptation to feel alone, & yet I’m reminded that I am not alone at all. I fear great loss, but it is inevitable. I’m afraid of not knowing how or not being able to pick up the pieces to go on…but God knows all. He knows what I can handle & he alone will guide me in it. Thank you for those scriptures. I know hard times will come & I am comforted by the fact that Jesus is with me all through those times.
This devotional touched me. I have many pains that have truly broken my heart and have not been able to let the sorrow spill. What I have come to realize in the past few days is the pain is deep & it is because I have really let the pain go. I keep telling myself I have to put on my big girl pants and move on. Instead of healing & moving past we let the pain fester.
I pray to The Lord to take the pain, but in reality I won’t let it go. I hear my mother tell me stop being a baby – stop crying. I also feel The Lord telling me to let it go. I truly want to, but I am fearful of the pain so I repress. Or I give God conditions I need. Give God conditions! Can you believe that one? I laugh at the nerve of me.
I have added healing my heart as my prayer; a willingness to let the pain go. This blog has helped me to realize the importance of it.
Thank you.
Donna
As I read this it made me think of my best friend who lost her 22 yr brother in an accident. She doesn’t know how to get over the pain and she feels like its taking to long to get over it. I sent her this devotional thinking maybe she could get a little bit of peace. Thank you. I know that this book would really help her in her grieving process. God Bless Aprile
Thanks for sharing. I like the verses in Matthew. I seem to turn to them and use them a lot. A loss is a hard time to go through. I do not how people do it without the help of God.
I remember the sorrow in the loss of my grandma many years ago. Since then I have not lost a close family member, but have lost dear friends. There is an ache and it’s not something we can just push under the rug. Thank you for your book reminding us of God’s promises and peace.
As I read the post today, I am convicted that grief is a process that I can put no tile limit on. As I read today I realized god is pushing me to deeper healing for my life losses and I need to follow his lead. I look forward to the work Our Lord has planned for my heart.
I have a grief of a different kind. I struggle with the anger pain resentment & unforgiveness for my husbands sex addiction his acting out & multiple affairs. My feelings have gone untended or unmet for many years because although we are working through it he can often only see his own pain. My husband was severely abused by many people as a child.leaving him grown but still vulnerable & childlike. I struggle with the Lord daily with unmet expectations for our recovery. My heart is so damaged & wounded by my own past, the chaos of co,dependency, coaddiction, years of struggling, physical challenges of my MS, me being a mom & the only one working, his depression, various severe health issues & chronic pain. & way more than I can put here..I know that Jesus is close to the broken hearted & saves those who are crushed in spirit & I am trying to draw near to him daily for him to heal the gaping wounds in our hearts & our family.Thank you Suzy for your blog & the reminder that Jesus’s heart breaks for us. I know he is the great physician & only he can heal us.
I would love a copy of your book.
This book I would give away to my future daughter in law. Although, I myself would need it also. She was demoted from her company for absolutely no reason at all. She is still employeed, but is being treated unworthy. She was employeed for over 12 years and rose to the top quickly becuase of her expertise, now she is the low person in the company and it is hard for her to understand why. I keep telling her it is an unjust world and she just needs to truly trust God alone and not man. The company does not need a reason to give her for her demotion…that is just a way of life in companys anymore. They don’t care about you, but themselves .
This books sounds great and the verses shared on the blog and in today’s devo could apply to situations other than death but I am wondering if the whole book is geared for loss due to death or can it help those hurting b/c of marriages gone wrong or other hurtful things? If the book can be applied to other hurts then this is the book for me. My marriage is in a hard place and things haven’t changed in about 6-7 yrs rather a step forward and many back:( I long for healing and I can’t a did force cause it’s not there but at times it’s been like that… yet no one knows except a family member and so how do I grieve and heal?
The Proverbs 31 devotional today was just what I needed. I am 27 years old and have experienced a lot of loss for someone my age. When I was a junior in highschool I lost 3 people to different causes in just 2 short weeks. Since then I have lost 4 people from suicides, 1 from a car accident, 2 have been murdered, 2 from cancer or disease and 4 from old age. As someone who didn’t have a personal relationship with the Lord in High School and because I had no idea (nor did anyone I knew) how to deal with such grief, all I could do was shove those feelings down and bury them as far away as possible. Unfortunately that has resulted in years of struggle with anxiety and fear. Over the past 5 years I have learned more what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus and am so grateful for His unfailing love, the loving and supportive husband he has given me and an amazing support system I have within our church and small group. However, it goes without saying that this level of anxiety isn’t something that just goes away when we decide it’s time. Satan has a tight grip on me and knows my weakness. This past Thanksgiving I ended up in urgent care because of a panic attack and it was then I truly realized I needed to do something more. I have been going to regular counseling sessions with a Christian counselor to try and deal with my unresolved grief. I feel like I am taking baby steps which is encouraging and I truly feel that your book would be so beneficial in my healing journey. Thank you for your words, I truly appreciate it.
It’s crazy how grief that hasn’t been dealt with builds up. I was nine years old when my father died of a heart attack. I was barraged with comments like “At least you still have your mom, your brother lost his dad” and so on. As an adult I had 2 miscarriages. I was shocked at the grief that that entailed. I told myself that there are many people going through the same or worse than I. I think I expected God to spare me any more losses after my father. Although I know God has sustained me, I feel myself building a wall between Him and I (I’m amazed at God’s continued beckoning and love). I would love to read your book and get a fresh perspective. Thanks so much!
I have had a lot of loss in my life but the worse, the one I just can’t get past, the one that haunts me and makes me ask God why is my younger brothers suicide 13 years ago. I’ll think I’ve dealt with it and then bam it sneaks up and slaps me right in the face. I try to let God comfort me but sometimes it’s just really hard.
I came over from Encouragement for Today; I lost my only Son, Jesse in 2011, he was murdered. He left behind a beautiful baby girl and his siter and us his parents, being a new believer I have had to comfort others and find myself clinging to The Lord when I find myself in a dark place. He comforts me, it doesn’t matter how old your children are, they are still your babies. Healing comes as we let it happen, sometimes it is very difficult to do that as you work through the many emotions. I also cling to his word, I know where my Son is and I am grateful for the time we had. This book lends itself to the readings other than the Bible that renew my spirit. Thank you. Karen
Mourning is something that sometimes never goes away. For our family it has lasted since March 9, 1991 when my nieces two little girls Jessicia 4 and Brittany 3 were killed by their father by shooting them both in the head. My niece Stephanie has tried to move on with her life but there is not a day goes by that she doesn’t think of her two little girls and what they might have become. My sister wrote poems to help ease her pain. They started a Parents of Murdered Children chapter in our area and helped many many people who have suffered because of someone else murdered a love one. My sister got very ill and passed away 5 years ago in May and my niece has had more moruning to bear. I do what I can to help her but prayer is the one thing that has gotten her through these many years. I am hoping the book Mended Heart may help her in someway that could ease her daily pain.
This morning I heard God whisper to me: I am your Healer. After I confessed my frustrations and my shortcomings and my stubbornness, this whisper was all I needed to get to His feet and submit and surrender anew to Him.
Thanks for this devotional! Many blessings to you!
I have had two dear friends lose their husbands in the last 6 weeks. Not sure what God is calling me to do in their lives. This book sounds amazing . I would love to read it and then gift it to my two dear friends. The path of pain and loss is one we have all felt and have to walk alone with the Savior hopefully coming out stronger on the otherside.
I have been going along this journey of grief for the past eighteen months since my husband had congestive heart failure and passed away unexpectedly.I am ashamed to say I have walked it alone and not let Jesus walk it with me and grieve with me but I am learning to let Him in and he is showing me that there is still a future for me and that there still are little joys in life.I felt so lost and believed my life was over when my husband;who was my best friend died.It is so hard having to raise my twoboys alone now and not having the wisdom with them that their Daddy did.But God is showing me that while it is not an easy path I am on He is with me every step of the way.I don’t have the finances to buy this book right now as some months we even run short on food but I wish I could because I know reading it would help me in the grief and depression that I am experiencing.
Thank you for this daily devotion. It is… I cannot think of a good enough term to describe the emotion when reading these posts. The grief, heart ache, pain & sorrow in each one. The comfort that Jesus is the common thread in all of them. I am still working through my grief & trusting those emotions to my God and it is HARD…plain & simple! My human, broken heart wants to keep trying to mend it all by myself & she can’t. Only the ultimate healer can. I am getting this book regardless how I get it. Whoever does receive it I pray & believe Gods Word will be used to flow into their broken hearts & mended, that they will hear & receive that love & peace that surpasses all understanding.
I am reading each of these and have also let my friend Amber know that you are sharing your hearts here. May this be a safe place today to share your heart, to tell us about your loved one, to be prayed over and with, and to find comfort that fills you up.
When I read the verse from Isaiah 40 to my brother as he laid in the nursing home bed, he just shook his head yes. He was looking forward to walking again when he met Jesus. A year before he suffered a brain stem hemorrhage which left him bedridden and unable to move. He passed a week after Easter three years ago and I just can’t seem to get past the suffering he experienced the last year of his life. He had no one but me and I second guess myself as to decisions I had to make regarding his care. Grief still overwhelms me at times like it just happened yesterday. He not only was my sweet brother, he also was the one that was always there when I grew up, as my father was an alcoholic. People say he’s in a better place, and I certainly know that, but the grief and guilt keep pounding at my heart and gut. He died with such grace and dignity because of his faith and became an example of the life I want to live…..for Jesus.
Thank you so much for your words and for reminding me of the words Jesus speaks to us through Scripture. My son, Adam, was 11 years old when Christ healed his broken heart and called him home. He died from complications of a heart transplant – but I know his heart is now whole and flawless! I have facilitated several grief Bible studies, but have not read your book. I am a Ministry Assistant for the Pastor of Discipleship at First Baptist Kissimmee, FL and your book looks as though it would be a great addition to our library. Blessings to you!
Thank you so much for your words…I love seeing God work through you and your writing. I know God speaks to me in many of the daily devotionals that I receive.
Thank you for sharing this. I know a few people who I will share this with.
Thank you so much for this devotion. I have grieved multiple losses during the past 3 years, some by death and some by relationships that have ended. I am learning to depend on the Lord day by day. I was especially touched by making this verse my own today: “I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27, NLT). What a gift awaits me if I’ll just accept it!
This is a really hard time of the year for me as it’s been almost 4 years since my best friend from high school passed away. I miss her so much every day especially now because our birthdays were a month apart and we’d go to lunch and celebrate each other. I haven’t found a friend like her as of yet.
Years ago I lost my brother and my Grandfather in one year. My brother was in his early thirties. My parents were so grief stricken I held it together for them. I had my own family I was holding it all together for also. I thought it was going to do my parents relationship in. I didn’t start to grieve for several months, then it hit me. I drank a lot. I was afraid I was going down a bad road. My husband’s never home, we list his best friend a year later, it just kept adding to the grief. Then my husbands co-worker was killed. It was almost too much. Years later now I don’t drink and am a Godvloving woman. My daughter list her best fiend and I see her doing the same thing. I try to help but she is so grief ridden she doesn’t see I went through it myself and she knows did. I have suggested help but she ignors me like I never said the words. I worry about her. I pray for her to heal. I love your blogs and the daily devotions from proverb 31, thank you wendy
I must first say that God’s timing is truly remarkable. I received this link this morning and enjoyed reading it, but I did not comment because at the time I was not mourning a loss.
However, as I was scrolling through my FB I saw a post in honor of one of my former co-workers husband who passed away last night. I called where we had worked together to make sure before I called her and sure enough it was her husband who had passed.
It was in August that she had confided in me that he had cancer and a month later my husband and I moved from NC to Kansas. Regretfully, I had not kept in touch with her as much as I would have liked too. When I heard that it was in fact her husband I immediately began to weep and for the first time began to understand the verse about when one mourns we all mourn with them.
I began to pray for her and her family, having already forgotten this post, and asked the Lord to reveal to me anything I could do for her. Instantaneously, the thought of your post came back.
I feel led to share this with her and wanted to thank you for posting it. God knows what we need when we need it, and He often uses others to help us.
I would also like to ask that you please keep her and her family in your prayers. You are all in mine as well.
Thank you so much for this post. I read it through the Proverbs 31 facebook page.
This is exactly where my friend is, who lost her 16 year old son ten months ago in a car accident.
I will share this with her – she may be reading it already. I know she is clinging to Jesus in her grief.
God bless you!
Deb
I am really appreciative to know that when my eyes are burnt out red and i have no more tears to shed, my nose is running and face and spirit down trodden Jesus is right there beside me weeping with me. everyday reading these post have been a blessing for me and while ready i cry because i remember the pain and the hurt and i wonder will i ever heal from this. I’m 100% broken and I am desperately seeking restoration from God. Thank you for giving the first chapter of your book for free, after reading it i was looking forward to the other chapters… But that chapter alone has encouraged me a lot and reading the comments and other post really help. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Two years ago I lost my granny….she raised me from day one without judgment. She taught me so many wonderful things and was a great example to me. I have been unable to get over her loss, knowing that she is in a better place not hurting any longer. I feel her with me letting me know she will always be here to help me just like she said she would. The hurt in my heart is unbearable at times but I take comfort in knowing I will be with her one day. Thank you for the giveaway!
January 31, 2014 Our son and his girlfriend had a stillborn baby at 8 months. Then two weeks later, someone very close to us committed suicide. He was only 18yrs old. On the same day another young man at church also committed suicide. It has been a very painful time but also had refined our faith. Each day is a step on the journey of healing. I’m thankful the Lord put your blog along my path today. I will be sharing it with everyone touched by these tragedies. I would love a copy of The Mended Heart for myself and to share with my 19 yrs old daughter who has been really hit hard by all of this.
This devotion could not have been timed any better. I have a friend, whose daughter, age 11, the same age as my son, has battled cancer since September. She is getting ready to win that battle, not here on earth, but with her Heavenly Father above. While our hearts break, this book would be so uplifting for my friend, while she grieves the home going of her daughter. You see, it’s not a ‘loss’ when we know they are HOME. May God bless each one.
Thank you so much for this devotion. I have felt hurt and loss so deep I thought not even God could touch it or heal. But He proved me wrong. I know that know that Jesus was right there with me through it all and remains today. So good days or bad days, in sorrow and in joy He is the One on whom I depend. He has never forsaken me or left me He is always faithful and for that I am forever grateful!
Thank you for the verses! They bring so much comfort in the tough moments…
Thank you for sharing this! These verses are just what I needed to read today!
Thank you so much for the words and verses! I really need them today! I am struggling with broken pieces because of my past. Y’all are always there with just the right words. Thank you!!
I am struggling right now with major health issues. I am going to pass this website to a friend who just lost her son. People tell her the same thing they say to me, “time for you to move on.” Today I have just been placed on oxygen. The daily encouragement helps me so much. Thank you.
This just what I needed This past Friday was the my Dad’s Birthday second one without him!!! It was really hard for me because I was volunteering for Hearts at Home All day and Evening so could not really so the emotions I was having, I have also passed this website on to my mom and and a few friends 2 that are young mother who lost their dad 2 years ago and on you mother with two young boy who lost he Husband of only a year a couple of weeks ago. Also a teen mom who is dealing with her two year old who is blind in his left eye because her ex the baby’s father shoke him as a baby!!!
A week ago I came upon a friend weeping in the ladies room at an awards banquet. She lost her son 2 years ago in an accident. It still hurts. I wrapped my arms around her and told her Jesus sees and feels her pain. To try and share it with Him. I can only hope she feels His love. Thank you for all you do Susie to encourage us to share our journey and burdens.
This devtional is very timely.
Lord you see each story, and each face behind that story. Lord, I pray that today every single woman who has bravely shared her loss will sense You near. Lord, may your words soak deep into her heart, and may she feel that flicker of hope and the strength of your sustaining power. We do not dismiss their pain, nor the path they’ve walked, but rather we know that you understand pain. You know loss. You have promised to comfort, to strengthen, to walk with us through the harder moments, and celebrate with us as we remember those we love with joy. May each person who reads these words today know that she is loved. She is seen. She is made whole by your love and power. In Jesus’ name.
Thanks for prayers over our hearts that ache but can rest in His truth!
Would love a copy of this
I absolutely would love to snuggle up with this book and open my hands before Jesus to hear him. I lost my dad in August as he was called Home to glory with The Lord. Although i stand firm in the promise and truth from Above my weary heart aches with every step i take alongside my family. My heart aches for my mom! She lost the love of her life- 37 years!!! i know god understands and is right there with me but would absolutely love to dive into this book. Sending love
Megan, I’m so sorry for the loss of your dad. My heart hurts with you. I pray that your mom senses God close with her, and that the love of such an amazing, thoughtful daughter will soothe her heart.
I would love a copy of this book. I lost my husband in 2009.
Even though I lost my husband 4 years ago I still feel like the pain is so raw. Life is just not the same without him. Nothing is the same, I have become a Christian since losing him but still feel lost.
Loss is our theme today, but so is hope. Hope that it will get better. Hope that we are not alone. Hope that when feelings aren’t enough, that you are. Thank you for loving Karen right where she is, and treasuring her as your own. Fill the places that are broken, God. Fill her up and over with joy. Surprise her with laughter. Comfort her when it is dark. Thank you that she is not alone in her grief, but that you are with her.
I would love to have this book as a gift for my friend who is hurting so very much. My dear friend lost her father in July and her husband of 43 years in August. She has such a hole in her heart and she is angry with the Lord. She doesn’t know how to see and feel his love for her.
Father, today I pray for Eileen’s friend. Her heart is hurting, Lord. Will you cover her under your wings? Lord, I know that’s such a biblical phrase, but I think of you covering her to protect her, to love her and hold her close, and to let her know that she is not alone. Let her feel and sense your presence as those around her listen, feed her, meet her needs during this hard time, and as she safely mourns this loss. In Jesus’ name. amen.
I would love to win this book. I really enjoy reading your blog.
I lost the love of my life in June. After almost 50 years together, it is extremely difficult to even think of getting through the pain of each day. I don’t sleep most nights and the memories of all the things we shared play over and over in my mind. I find it almost impossible to do everyday things…read a book, watch tv, go to church, go shopping, because we did everything together. I have never prayed so much in my life and I cry almost everyday. I just don’t know how to move on and I am in hopes that somehow God will send me the answer to start me on the road to get stronger.
Father, thank you for Sylvia. She loved her husband much. Thank you that you understand that, and that she has a place to safely mourn with you, but also to heal. May she be surprised by moments of joy, by strength that can only come from you, and from memories that become sweeter by the day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Sylvia, I’ve been married for 34 years to a guy I love like crazy. I can only imagine what it would be like to mourn my Richard. Thank you for allowing us to celebrate the love you had with this man for 50 years.
Reading this book has aided my journey in sifting through a few past experiences & the impact those have had on my perception of God. Thank you.
If I win I will give it to a friend who has experienced tremendous grief over the last year and a half. If I don’t win I’ll buy it for her.
I would love to read this book!! My 8 year old daughter died suddenly in 2008, grief visits everyday, but with strength that could only be from God, I continue to find comfort and peace!
I SO want to read this book! Where can I buy it?
Amazon. Proverbs 31 Ministries. Barnes and Noble. Walmart.com — anywhere they sell books! When you buy it a Proverbs, you help fund a ministry reaching thousands of women. https://proverbs31.org – bookstore — the mended heart
Suzie, I hadn’t heard of your book until just now. I have a copy of The Mom I want to Be, and found it to be very helpful It met me right where I was at when I read it, and now, I am thinking that this book will, again, meet me right here. Four and a half years ago, I experienced the beginning of an emotional healing of sorts, when the inner shell that I carried within myself from a very difficult childhood and extreme dissociation broke open. Along with the enlarging of my heart and a new emotional capacity (that I have needed to learn how to live with, similar to how a very young child learns about living with emotions), came plenty of paranoia, delusion, and denial. It has been quite the rocky and arduous journey from that point to today, as I have pressed into Jesus in search of answers and healing. So many times, the perfect book has come into my hands. Just today, I have been looking at myself and thinking, I still need to grieve. I am so much better, but there is still so much loss from where I used to be, functionally speaking. Grieving has been the key to healing in this strange journey of the soull.
Father, today I come alongside Diane and thank you for all the celebrations she can hold up to you. She’s come so far. Yes, it’s been painful, but also changing. It’s been rocky, but she’s held on to you the entire time. Thank you for protecting her. For loving her. For walking before and over and behind her, hemming her in with your plan and purpose. Continue this journey. Let Diane celebrate each step forward, rather than how far she has to go, and remind her one more time that she is not alone in this. Thank you for being with her each moment.
I too would love a copy of this book. I lost my husband of 29+ years, 1 1/2 years ago, What a joy to join you in this study.
This looks like a powerful book. I’ve experienced a life of loss. I know I need to do some healing. Desperately. Years of depression and anxiety. Anger. I could go on and on.
Am thankful you wrote this book. Would love the chance to read it, am so tired of trying to just let go of this loss and move on. Such a struggle for me
You are the winner of today’s giveaway. Send me your mailing address and I’ll send it to you!
I have recently suffered a loss…i lost my 6 week old baby girl. The walk down this road has been very tough. I have started picking myself up and looking out for what I can do to help other mums. You can read one of my articles at
https://mugumya.blogspot.com/2014/03/from-mums-heart.html
Not waiting for the giveaway! I am ordering two copies of this one for reading myself and sharing with my daughters her in Alabama and the other to send to my sister in Massachusetts. We all have a need for this with the many deaths and trying experiences of the past few years and few months!
Beautiful, Judy. I love that. Lord, take these words and the sacrificial gift of Judy and plant hope and healing in the hearts of her daughter and her sister. Thank you for such a thoughtful and kind mom and sister.
I would love a copy of this book! The Unburdened Heart helped me tremendously! I can only imagine the healing words and power that is in a The Mended Heart!
Hey Courtney, thank you so much for those kind words. I pray that you’ll consider joining us in the Mended Heart study right here on the blog five days a week. <3
I would love to win this book. I have experienced pain and loss I would prefer to keep private, but this book this book looks amazing.
Thank you for writing your blog and books, for all of us mending in a broken world! 🙂
I would love to win this book, for a friend who sustained a severe loss. Thank you for the chance to win.
Suzie,
Thanks for those verses. I lost my precious Daddy in October and am still grieving a lot. Looking forward to chapter 4!!