Welcome to Hope in the Morning. turning tragedies and tears into testimonies of hope. It's easy to say we trust the Lord when life is going well. But what about when devastating tragedy strikes? Will we trust the Lord in the depths of our pain?
My guests today have had their trust put to the test, and today they share their testimony of what it means to must trust. Brandon and Jill, thank you so much for joining me today. Thanks for having me. Thank you. I'd love to start out with you guys just telling us about your Izzy.
Yeah.
So Izzy was born in 2008. And so she's the youngest of our three. We have an older son and a middle daughter. And Izzy was born and was Immediately, just a delight, I think, for us. I think it's especially for, you know, we weren't first-time parents and everything.
So it was a little bit easier with our third child. And so it was a lot more relaxed. And she took advantage of that. She was, she, We always called her our spunk in sunshine because she had a lot of a sweet sweetness to her and a lot of spunkiness too. And so she was a delight to us and to everybody.
It was a time when we were in a really sweet church in Tennessee, and everybody got a chance to hold her and get to know her, and she got to know everybody else.
So she kind of carried that through all her 14 years of just being one who loved others and loved being around others and just loved kind of the sweet and spunky stuff of life. What were some of her unique talents and hobbies? Mm. She was super creative.
So she loved to do anything with drawing, watercolor. She dreamed of going to SCAD in Savannah. That was like her old. Ultimate goal. She has like a jar saved up of money that she's going to use for tuition.
Um Gymnastics. Ah, goodness. Baking. Baking. Anything outside, she loved nature.
Okay.
So, did she get some of those things from both of you guys? Zero for me. All from my wife, for sure. But she had his sense of humor.
Okay.
Okay.
I love that. I love how she was just a mix, a mix of you guys. That's very sweet.
So, you guys say that she was like your sunshine. Can you tell me what that means, that she was your sunshine? Oof. Goodness. She, um, yeah, just.
Very thoughtful, very sweet.
So, like, for instance, she, like I told you, she had, she loved kind of reaching out to others and stuff. And so, we have a neighbor who's a single guy, and she loved making macaroons or macarons, I think, is the appropriate way that she corrected us in how do you pronounce it. But she got to a point where she was really, really good and made those well and had made a little gift basket for him of a package of macarons that she had took over to him.
So, just that was just kind of a Sweetness to her. And she was also really evangelistic in that, wanting to share the love of God with others because she knew just what people needed is the Lord. And so she would try to bring that into her creativity and just was always thinking about how she can be a blessing to others through the creative gifts that the Lord blessed her with. Wow. I mean, it's so easy to tell that she was just a beautiful person inside and out.
And, you know, I've had the privilege to see her picture, and her picture will be on the cover of this YouTube story.
So, those that are listening on the radio, you know, we would encourage you to go to YouTube as well and just see this beautiful little girl. You know, when when did she come to know the Lord as her personal Savior? Izzy.
So we had thankfully by God's grace, you know, tried to raise our kids in the fear and admonition of the Lord. We we raised them to go to church and we did family quiet times all um most nights. And so she did grow up in a home where we preached the gospel and wanted our children to hear and know the Lord. She was very but she wasn't very, you know, I guess, overly compliant in the sense that she didn't want to say that she was a believer until she really was, until the Lord grabbed hold of her heart. And we would have lots of conversations with her about Trusting in the Lord and putting her faith in Him.
And does she want that? And she wouldn't answer. It wasn't until I. Two or three years, I think, before she died, that the Lord grabbed hold of her and used a sermon that one of our dear friends preached at our church here in Texas. And it was just a moment when the Lord grabbed hold of her heart.
And she came back from church, and we talked because she had just, I think, been broken by him to want and to submit to his lordship.
So, yeah, I think it was just a couple of years before she died. I think it's a beautiful testimony of your family and the dynamics of your family that here your kids are raised in a Christian family, and yet you guys gave them the truth to not only understand that just because they're raised in a Christian family does not, it doesn't impart faith to you, but also giving them. the space to um Come to the Lord on their own, you know, to know that they can say honestly to you that, no, I'm not, I'm not there right now. I don't, I don't feel called by the Lord right now. That's not what every family has.
And I think that that is such a wonderful thing for your kids to feel like they can. Be open with you on either side, with where they are at. And so, what a wonderful testament of what your parenting looks like together and to lead them faithfully, but to lead them to where you want their faith to be genuine. I think that that is beautiful. Can you guys briefly share with us how your world changed in June?
Yeah.
It shattered in June. For sure. Yeah.
Um, so it was June 16th, 2022. Um, It was a normal day. She had actually was serving with some of our church members. The church member was both of them were teachers at a Christian school in the area. They were putting on a summer camp, and there was a cooking summer camp or baking summer camp.
And she had gone to that. It was the last day of the camp. And so that morning was just normal. She was healthy, happy, but that afternoon had a swimming accident. And You know Just this idea that life is normal and life is good.
And we loved being the family that we were, a family of five. Um And and everything just just It's like a bomb that goes off, and you're dealing then with the aftermath of what just happened.
So for us, I don't know both of our fathers had died previously in years in the years past. Jill had cancer the first time several years prior to that, but we had not known sorrow until as he died. And I think that was something that was Just huge. I mean, obviously, I mean, you lose a child, you're going to walk through sorrow. And we just had not known the depths of that.
The unexpectedness of it. Yeah.
She's She's so vibrant, so healthy, so joyful. And then. Gone, yeah. Yeah, I think Jill, the word that you used Shattered. I think that that is such a powerful word.
And You know, here is this beautiful picture of this family of five, and how she, as you had said, that she brought the sunshine. into your world and then the sunshine is gone. And just how that does leave you. grasping for The Lord, what else? I mean, what else do you have?
You know, where else do you go? In such pain like that. Can you can you tell me what those first couple days and weeks looked like for you as a family? Whew, they were We were in shock for a while. Thankfully, we had such a sweet church family that carried us from the minute it happened.
all the way through and still walking with us. The grief. We had people in our home constantly caring for us, just letting us be. We sat on the couch a lot and just kind of stared out the window. Um We sang songs.
That was one thing that I was thankful for Brandon. Just like we didn't know what else to do in that time, but sing. And Um Yeah, those are moments that Uh Felt very sacred to do that with our church family because. You just don't. There's so much shock.
You just don't know what just happened. You're going about, we were actually preparing for our sons. graduation party that weekend. And so, uh That's where we were going in our minds. And so to have this complete shift.
Yeah.
It was just life-altering. Do you remember what some of those songs were that you sang? Um They always like me, was one of them. Um Goodness. Yeah, the the first night When we got back home.
Um And our church was with us, like Jill had said, that we just didn't know what else to do.
So we have a YouTube playlist of worship songs because. That's what we use in our family quiet time, and we chose Though He Slay Me from Shane and Shane.
Okay.
And I can't remember the other there was two or three songs that we sang, two or three hymns that we sang that night. But, you know, since then there's been Oh, I always forget the name of it. Um,. Be Still My Soul, I think, was one that really ministered. to us, especially the third verse in that.
Um Yes, there was there was a there were several. He will hold me fast. He will hold me fast. I love that one. You know, for those that are listening that are unfamiliar with Shane and Shane's Though You Slay Me, first of all, it's interesting you would say that I was singing that song the whole way over to the studio today of all the songs.
And Some of the lyrics in that say, Though you slay me, still I will praise you. Though you take from me, I will bless your name. though you ruin me, I will worship you. And it talks about how the Lord Allows us to be wounded and binds up our wounds, and how he does it all in love. And Our sorrows can bring us to the feet of the Savior in a way that, um, that our joyous cannot necessarily do.
And when we return in just a moment, we're going to talk about Izzy's faith and how. Izzy is faith. Kind of gave you guys something to cling to as well and what the meaning of must trust is.
So join us in just a moment on hope and Have you ever walked through the deep suffering of a friend and been at a loss for what to say? How can you comfort someone when they've just lost a loved one or been diagnosed with cancer? Join us on Hope in the Morning to hear testimonies of people who've gone through life's hardest trials and share what you can do to serve others in similar circumstances. To learn more, visit us at hopeinthemorning.org. Hope in the Morning is a listener-sponsored program that encourages the weary, equips those who walk beside them, and evangelizes the lost.
If you want to partner with this ministry, visit hopeinthemorning.org. And may you be filled with hope as you continue this episode of Hope in the Morning. Thanks for joining us again on Hope in the Morning. My guests today are Brandon and Jill Bishop, and they're sharing with us the life and the testimony of their daughter Izzy. And I would love to revisit what you had talked about with some of those songs that meant so much to you guys just in the immediate aftermath of losing Izzy.
And Brandon, you had mentioned the song Be Still, Be Still My Soul. Can you read one of those verses that meant the most to you? Yeah.
Um One of the the third verse really talks and is one that we don't often sing when we sing this song in churches, but is a really powerful verse and it really It really helped us and ministered to our own mourning. It's it says Be still, my soul, when dearest friends depart, And all is darkened in the veil of tears, Then shall ye better know his love, His heart, Who comes to soothe your sorrow and your fears. Be still, my soul your Jesus can repay From his own fulness all he takes away. Hmm. That is so beautiful.
Now as As you guys were walking through this grief, and you say that you guys had consistent family time. that revolved around worship songs and scripture. What What did those family times look like in the months following? Mm-hmm. Yeah, they I think it was Um It typically followed the same pattern that we had established years prior, where it was.
Singing, reading, and praying. We did start to use. Douglas McKelvey has a really great Um Liturgy series and books called Every Moment Holy, and we had used volume two, which talks about grief.
So, we would incorporate that in a lot of our times, especially in those media days and weeks after reading through those as prayers and crying out to the Lord. But we would. Mm-hmm. read the Bible quite often, again, really kind of Going back to what we had known before, and a lot of that is really just in the Psalms with David and his crying out to the Lord. The laments that are in there were just incredibly powerful for us and helped us through a whole lot.
But then praying, and oftentimes it's just crying out. You don't know what to say. You don't know what to ask the Lord for because you want the one thing you want isn't coming back. And so, having to have faith and trust in the Lord that. He is still good, and believing those truths from the Bible comes through that time of prayer and singing, even when you.
just don't feel like singing sometimes. Um So I think that was That's kind of the flavor of our It took us some time to get there too. Like we couldn't sit down and do our typical family quiet time right after because her absence was so felt. And we all had like our Little roles to play, you know, she would always pray first, or, you know, and yeah. That was a little bit hard.
Those first, I don't even know, I would say a couple of weeks that we started back doing that was heavy. It was a tough. Yeah.
Her absence was really felt. Uh But And still, still felt like we, even when we said, we still wait to hear her little voice when we sit. Yeah.
It. Yeah.
So, where did you guys get the phrase that we hear so often for those of us that follow your beautiful account, Jill, or those of us that have read your blog, Brandon? You guys use the phrase must trust. Where did that come from?
Okay, so Four weeks to the day after losing her, I was in our schoolroom and. Just as a great homeschool mom, I never graded my kids' work. And so I looked over at her shelf that was right next to me, and there was this little yellow notebook for literature, and I just wanted to see her handwriting. And so I was flipping through the pages, just Seeing what she had written, and she had just recently read the book Night, and her assignment was to write. to the author of the book Night.
And All of it. We both of us feel like it was a letter to us. Like she has. No, I had no idea in the moments that she was writing that, that it was going to be because she talked about. This is for your good and for God's glory, what you're walking through, even though you don't understand that God is sovereign and in control, and that all you have to do is must trust.
And she understood. Yep. And so From that point forward, It has been what we cling to and probably one of our like most treasured things of hers. Is that what? Wow.
You know, for those that are unfamiliar with the book Night, it's a memoir really on the Holocaust. And, you know, for her at 14 years old to have that heart, that that's what she would tell. Tell somebody that's going through the Holocaust that God is going to use this for your good and for His glory, and all you need to do is must trust. That shows you where her faith was. at the tender age of fourteen.
Yeah.
The Lord sovereignly gave you that assignment to give her? And What What a beautiful gift from the Lord for him to know that you were going to read that assignment when you needed it. and that he was going to use it to minister to your heart. Not only has it been something that you guys have clung to and has been kind of a family mantra of sorts, is from what I've gathered, but I think it's been something that Really, people that follow your guys' accounts. have been ministered to as well.
Um What? What kind of feedback have you gotten with people writing you back and telling you how? how seeing your faith has encouraged their own over these past three years. Mm. I Um I get a lot of messages about mistrust and clinging to that, walking into their own heartaches, doctor's appointments.
Um when they've lost someone. And then just Uh People are thankful that we've been willing to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. Of it, I mean, a lot of it is out there. Both Brain and I wear our hearts on our sleeves, so um. And we love to talk about Izzy.
So. Um yeah, I think that. It's been such a blessing to be able to share it and then hear people repeat her words. Out that her words made it to this person or went with this person to this doctor's appointment, or, and obviously, that's all a gift from the Lord. Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, you you also you have an Etsy, and so I know that you have shirts, which I'm wearing one of them for those that are watching on YouTube that say must trust and um And you have stickers too, which again, I know if you're watching on the radio, you can't see, but you can check in at YouTube and see. But there's these beautiful stickers too that say must trust. And that's actually something that you guys have kindly donated some to us so that we can give those out as thank yous for those that donate during this month that your episode is airing. It really is such a good reminder to those of us that have Have suffered losses, but as you had said, that you guys both wear your hearts on your sleeve and that you have shared the good, the bad, and the ugly. I really believe that that is when the Lord gets the most glory, when we're willing to be vulnerable with our heartache and not put on a pretense that.
Because we're believers, we have it all together, or because we're believers that we don't suffer and suffer hard. you know, I think that it's it's been really, um, a very encouraging thing. To watch you talk, Jill, on your platform and Brandon, the blogging that you do. Because people need to see that the hurt is real. But the hope is real too.
And the hope doesn't erase the hurt, but it can it can give Maybe a little bit of purpose to it on some hard days.
So, with your different platforms that you have, Brandon, what are some of the things that You most enjoy writing about on your blog. Yeah.
Um I mean, I love writing about Izzy, of course. I love, every now and then I'll write an Izzy story and a memory of. of hers and that I have and Those are always enjoyable to write about, of course. Um Really, I think I did write about this in one post that one of the gifts that Izzy gave us. uh in this time it is a A greater desire and look towards the future in the sense of when all will be redeemed, when, as Revelation says, he will wipe away all our tears and.
He will restore what was lost. And so, thinking about that wedding feast around the table with all our brothers and sisters in Christ. and celebrating the the wedding of the of the lamb to his bride. Thinking of 1 Thessalonians 4, which is one that I preached at our church, and just being caught up together that day.
So I think that looking ahead to when God will right all the wrongs and the sorrows will be no more. And You know, gathering not only with Izzy and others who have put their faith and trust in Christ, but also with Christ, like being with him and Just no more burdens, no more sorrow, because we are with our Savior. And I think that's. I always enjoy writing about those things. And how does.
our days to day. Inform or more are given meaning, like you had said. From the sorrow that we're experiencing to as we look to a greater future and a greater hope in Christ.
So, yeah, that's that's a lot of it. Do you both write and do your do your other two children, do they journal at all? I do not like writing.
Okay.
Okay.
Yeah, our son likes to write. They don't journal, but yeah, I think Izzy was one that would journal from time to time. Joshua, our oldest son, he's one that likes to write. And Abby is a lot like Jill and is good with the written word coming from her pen. Yeah, yeah.
Well, I so appreciate you guys sharing your story. Where can they find you guys? Where can our listeners find you guys and continue following your journey? I'm on Instagram and Facebook at Backporch Lily, and that's with two L's.
Okay.
That's why. Back porch Lily. And what about you, Brandon? Where's where's your blog at? It's called Till We Are Home, T-I-L-L, We Are Home.
Till We Are Home. All right.
Well, I strongly encourage you guys to follow them because you will be so encouraged by their testimony. And this is not the end of their testimony that they're going to share on Hope in the Morning. We have a part two coming. They're going to talk to us about the fact that this was also not the only trial that they were walking through. Jill went on to face cancer for a second time.
And they're going to tell us about that. They're going to tell us about how Brandon led a family through grief while navigating his own.
So you're not going to want to miss that episode.
So join us next week as well on Hope in the Morning. Hope in the Morning is a non-profit ministry that seeks to encourage the hurting, equip those who walk beside them, and evangelize the lost with the hope of Jesus Christ. To partner with our ministry or to make a donation in your loved one's honor, please visit hopeinthemorning.org. Your donation helps keep these stories of hope on the air and helps tangibly meet the needs of the hurting.
