On a day like Thanksgiving, it can be a challenge to be in a state of "thankfulness" all day, no matter what circumstances you and I face prior to this day. Expectations can easily fall short for the family celebration, the food, the football game (especially if you're a Bears fan, even more so if you're a Lions fan). But today, I am able to choose thankfulness, specifically because people have shared so many helpful resources with us these past two months. So, I want to thank those that have helped and highlight the helpful resources. We are truly thankful to have these available in our season of suffering. Some of the resources are particular to what we are going through and others are more focused on any type of suffering anyone could face in life:
1) Podcast- Even If... by Kelly Streiff. In 2019, Kelly lost her firstborn daughter from an umbilical chord accident at 40 weeks. Her podcast is all about the idea that even if life is awful, we can stay rooted in our faith in God.
Thanks Rachel for sharing this with us from the beginning, we have resonated with every episode!
2) Podcast- Suffer Strong by Katherine and Jay Wolf. In 2008, Katherine suffered a massive brain stem stroke that nearly took her life. Years later, she has not physically recovered from the stroke, but her and her husband have written a couple of books (highly recommend) and are sharing their story to help people stay strong amidst their suffering,
Thanks Ann for first introducing this amazing couple to us years ago!
3) Podcast- Delivering Miracles by Parijat Deshpande. With years of helping women through traumatic pregnancies, Parijat has a wealth of knowledge and experience to help anyone who has faced any type of physical, emotional or mental trauma in a pregnancy.
Thanks Rachel for this, it has been absolute gold in our journey!
4) Book- Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scaazzero. Over twenty years ago, Pete and his wife Geri had a complete burnout in their ministry and marriage. But over time, they started to live a drastically different lifestyle that included rest, margin, consistently processing pain and a pursuit of actually being with Jesus.
Thanks Brian for randomly talking about this book last year, it has been life-giving for me!
5) Book- Suffering is Never for Nothing by Elisabeth Elliot. Though Elisabeth passed away in 2015, this book is from a series of messages she gave at a conference about suffering in general. She also shares stories of her specific suffering in which her first husband was killed by a group of people they were going to share the Gospel with as missionaries and her second husband died from cancer after being married for two years.
Thanks Moriah and Calvary for this recent gift!
6) Book- Permission to Mourn by Ruth Potinu. In a collection of stories and wisdom, Ruth fights against the western idea to just rush past grief and instead, give ourselves permission to consistently be ok with mourning, no matter what we face.
Thanks Ruth (yes, the author Ruth, and one of my former Moody classmates) for sharing your new book with us and your constant prayers and support!
7) Book- Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman. Married to the Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman, Mary Beth shares the awful story of losing their daughter in a tragic car accident. Her openness as she works through all aspects of her faith and life has helped us see God and this season through a different lens.
Thanks Sharon for providing this resource, along with your amazing care for us right away!
8) Book- Every Moment Holy: Volume 2 by Douglas McKelvey. A collection of prayers and liturgies to help guide individuals and churches to lament their grief, face their pain and choose hope through it all.
Thanks Katie for sending this beautiful book to us that I know we will come back to often for years to come!
And a bonus one: a song I heard on the radio as I drove home the morning after Sophie passed away. I was trying to prepare myself to tell Nora and Max what happened and this is what the Lord gave me in that car ride home:
Promised Land by TobyMac. The lyrics are timely, but knowing TobyMac's story of recently losing his adult son has made it even more powerful and relatable to us in this season.
If you're suffering in any way, be thankful that you don't have to face it alone. There are so many resources in the world from others who have suffered.
What are some resources that have been helpful for you? Leave a comment below and share, I would love to learn about them!
