Pain and Loss and a Reason to Rejoice
Loss never really goes away. It hurts every day. I feel the pain and loss of my daughter through death. I feel the pain and loss of relationship with my grandchildren. But you know what else is true? By God’s grace and strength every single day of my life, I rise above that ash heap of despair and follow my Jesus into areas previously unknown to me; forefront and center is writing. I’ve published two books https://karennorton.com/christian-books/, and I’m happy to announce the submission of my third.
So true to me is how God takes our pain, defeat, rejection, and struggles when we give them all to Him, and He molds and shapes them like different colors of playdough into a beautifully surprising work of art that only the Creator can create. Because of His immense mercy and grace in my life, I am alive today, moving forward, doing things I never dreamed I could do: helping others walk through the grief process, encouraging others in their walk with the Lord, helping marriages get back on track with God through teaching and personal mentoring, mentoring young moms, and so much more. Because of God, I am unstoppable. Without Him, I would be in the cemetery next to Jamie right now. I’m thankful God had other plans.
Yes, I cry every day over losses I’ve experienced in this life and what could have been, and at the same time I rejoice in my God’s great love and faithfulness. I know that one day I will see Jamie again, and I’m confident I will see Caleb and Karen Vi again. My greatest joy and hope, however, is that I will see my precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be with Him and those I love forever and ever. Until then, I want to live the rest of my life accomplishing His will for my life. Jesus is my difference-maker.
He can be your difference-maker too. Let go of all your pain and loss and give it completely to Him. He will renew your joy and reshape your life into a brilliant masterpiece in ways you could not possibly imagine.
“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:18).
“I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me” (Psalm 13:6).