Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. I love all holidays and Christmas has always been placed at the very top of that list. Until four years ago.
In the early hours of Christmas morning 2019, my phone rang, waking me from my sleep. A phone call at this hour is never good. I saw my mom's name flash across the screen and said a sleepy, "Hello?" She uttered two words that have forever changed my life. "It's Papa." I jumped from bed screaming, waking the household. We raced to my grandparents home and when we arrived, I jumped from the car before my husband even stopped. As I ran inside, my dad met me at the door and with unfallen tears pooling in his eyes, he shook his head.
Life has not been the same. Since that sorrowful day, we also lost my Mamaw two years ago. She passed on Halloween, and while I do not celebrate Halloween in any way, it was just one more holiday that "stole" my grandparents from me. My grandparents were my best friends, my biggest cheerleaders, and my strongest prayer warriors. Losing them has been one of the absolute hardest things of my life.
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Life was cruising along. There were some bumps and hills every now and again, that is to be expected of course. We were never promised an easy life. But nothing knocked us off course. Until, well, until it did knock me off course.
The last three years have brought multiple losses; my mother-in-law, my grandfather, one of my very best friends, my grandmother, and others. Losses that shook me to my core. The last few years also have taken my once inseparable family and tore us apart. Life today sure doesn't look like what I experienced or imagined just a few short years ago.
Losing loved ones is never, ever an easy thing. Yes, we are grateful they are no longer in pain. Yes, we are so happy they are with Jesus. But we are left with an gaping hole. Memories that sometimes bring a smile and yet other times bring us to our knees. Hoping and praying they knew how much we loved them.
A family that once loved being together and always had each other's backs -and fronts, and sides- now with a wedge the size of an ocean in the middle. Blaming others and never thinking that everyone was actually wrong. Not wanting to put the past in the past and move forward in love. Not caring at all to fix it.
The last few years have hit me hard. Disrupted everything I knew and loved about life. Brought me to a place I never imagined I would be.
Throughout all the pain, all the loss, all the anger, all the bitterness, all the sadness, and all the tears, I have learned so much about who God is and who I am in Him. I have learned that through everything that comes my way,I can still trust in an Almighty God who is right by my side every step of the way.
In their new book Divine Disruption, Tony Evans -with his four children, Chrystal Evans Hurst, Priscilla Shirer, Anthony Evans, and Jonathan Evans- shares, "Sometimes God allows discomfort and distress because He wants us to move in close to Him." In the past few years of loss and struggle, I have moved in so much closer to God, and to my husband.
Tony and his children openly share of the losses and battles their family faced over such a short time. They teach us how to hold onto our faith through all the heart breaks that come. Chrystal says, "If you get rid of God, you still have your problems." So much truth. The problems will be there, so why not find a way to God and live the problems through a faith rooted in Him!
In Divine Disruption, you’ll walk away with insights on: Why bad things happen despite a good and powerful God Persevering in difficult times and experiencing God’s peace What causes distress in your life—and how to move past it How to keep your faith from being damaged during tough times
Divine Disruption is a powerful book from the Evans family. The book is written in a style where you feel like you are literally sitting at the kitchen table with them just chatting. You'll cry. You'll turn your head heavenward and say, "Oh dear Jesus please help." You'll feel God near. And most important, you'll learn how to find faith even throughout life disruptions.
To order a copy of Divine Disruption, click the banner below. To enter to win a copy, complete each task in the rafflecopter below.
Friday morning started out like any other morning. We woke up and my husband got ready for work then left. I had my quiet time with God then begin to get ready for my day. While getting ready my phone rang with the special song telling me it was my husband. Thinking he was just calling to remind me of a phone call I needed to make that day, I answered. Instantly I knew something was wrong. I could hear it in his voice when he asked what I was doing. I asked him what was wrong but I couldn't understand him. Then when the words came across more clear, I couldn't comprehend what he was saying. It had to be a mistake. His mother had just passed away.
My handsome husband and his beautiful mom on our wedding day.
It was a hard, whirlwind weekend. The pain has been almost unbearable. We miss her like crazy already. May I ask you to hold our family in prayer?
Continuing to count God's sweet blessings... 2315. My precious mother-in-law, Linda. 2316. Her crazy, spontaneous phone calls that always ended abruptly with "ok, bye." 2317. The way she'd rather have a case of Pepsi than flowers for Mother's Day. 2318. The way she said even the simplest things were "fancy." 2319. The amazing son she blessed me with. Share something you are praising God. I would love to rejoice with you.
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