This is the Truth Network. This is the Truth Network. Welcome to Truth Talk Live. All right, let's talk the truth is. I can't hide it.
Oh yeah. A daily program powered by the Truth Network. This is kind of a great thing, and I'll tell you what. Where pop culture, current events, and theology all come together. Speak your mind.
And now, here's today's Truth Talk Live host. Welcome to Truth Talk Live. I'm Emily Curtis, and today's question of the day is: How did people show up for you with the grace and mercy of the Lord in a hard season? We want to hear from you. We want you to call us at 866-348-7884.
And again, tell us how people showed up for you in a hard season. How were they the hands and feet of Christ to you? I'm joined today as well with Dwayne Carson, the host of Date the World.
So I'm glad to be here with you today. Date the Word. Nice to be here with you today, Dwayne. Yes, it's a joy to be with you. I've been watching your ministry, and it's a phenomenal ministry as you're helping people deal with very tough, difficult moments of their lives.
Tell us a little bit about that for our listeners, because I know they've probably heard you in other shows, but just as you host today, What is your ministry all about? Yeah, so Hope in the Morning, I mean, it started out as a ministry not only, not only wanting to equip the church to walk alongside people that are really hurting. A lot of times we say things unintentionally that are hurtful. That's not what our goal is as believers, right? We want to build each other up and encourage each other when we're in those dark seasons.
But also we want to remind people that are grieving that our God is still good. Our God is still mighty. He still hears you. And that's even what the topic today ties in with the question because God hears your prayers. And sometimes he answers that in the form of bringing somebody else alongside you with that meal or with that text message or that faithful prayer.
We can be the hands and feet of Christ. And that's what we want to do. And so on today's Truth Talk Live, We're looking for callers. to share a story. share a story about how someone came alongside them.
in a difficult season. And they practiced Hebrews 10, 24. They saw, they considered, they stirred up, they cared for. I have in my date the word ministry 56 one another's. Not verses, because some of them have multiple things to do, but there are at least 56 things I can be doing for another believer.
And um When someone loses a loved one That's one of the most important times when the body of Christ has got to show up. and and do more than Hey, I'm just praying for you. Quick. Uh what else can be done? James chapter 1, verse 27, I would think, is one of your big verses.
Yeah.
Well, being able to step in, and someone had once told me, and I think that this is a good model for this show today, actually, is that as believers, we're always either in a season of suffering or service. And so if you don't find yourself right now in an active season of suffering, Be actively looking for how you can serve one another because that's Christ-like, right? That's how we want to treat one another. And I love that you have all of those one-another's because we need to memorize those things. And it's really a neat thing, too, that the Lord has equipped each of us, whether we realize it or not, like we're equipped to serve and in unique ways, which is really a pretty cool thing.
And so, you know, as people call in today and as they're gathering their stories and remembering what people have done for them, it's really a neat way to praise the Lord, actually, to think, man, I remember when so-and-so went out of their way and maybe they called the funeral home for you during a hard season because those are hard calls to make, you know, really hard. Or maybe they were the ones that showed up on your door and said, Can I watch your kids? Let me take your kids to the park so you can get some rest or you can make funeral arrangements, whatever it may be. There's unique ways that we can serve if we're looking for it. James 1 27 True religion is to visit.
And that word visit has the idea of a scope. where you are zooming in. Just like with a microscope or a telescope. And so when I'm seeing something happen, wait, hang on, I need to zoom in. What can I do to help them?
Yeah.
And and um When I was at when I was at Liberty as a campus pastor. teaching about the care part of our ministry. I said, you have to listen past. The answer of I am fine. Because what's usually the first answer they give?
Yeah.
How are you doing? I'm fine. Yeah.
All right. How are you fine? When's the last time you left your room? Why don't we go get dinner tonight? Yeah.
Hey, I'm headed to the basketball game. You're going with me. Yeah.
You don't even hardly give them an option. Never force somebody, but you got to look past the listen past, the I am fine component. Because people don't want to be a bother. Mm-hmm. Um Well, and they're used to people not taking the time.
To actually hear how you're doing. Right.
So they know that for the most part, when we say, hey, how you doing? That's the answer we're looking for. Please tell me that you're fine so I can just move on and check it all. Yeah, but as believers, we want to do so much more than that because that's not how Christ is with us, right? It's not just this shallow relationship, it's deep.
He wants to know our deepest heartaches, and he cares about all of that. And so that's what we want to do, too. And that's what we want to hear from our callers. I think. And so, if you have a story to share with us about how someone stepped in.
For your heartache and how they were the hands and feet of Christ, how did somebody else serve you? We want to hear it at 866-348-7884. I'm sure you've got lots of ideas. This is a great way to really not only praise the Lord, but think of other people. Because what a cool thing that they step into your sorrow and to your heartache and say, hey, let me lighten that burden for you a little bit.
And I am wondering, Emily, there might be a caller out there. that it was God who stepped in big time. And that could be an interesting story as well. I think about. Peter.
We're headed to Easter. And oh my word. He blows it big time. And Jesus has said, You're going to blow it, and then you're going to get restored. Listen, help your brothers.
But when Jesus rises from the dead, talks to Mary, Mary Magdalene. He says, Go tell my disciples. Two words, and Peter. I'll see you in Galilee. Two words.
And then in Galilee, John 21 is going to take place. Where Jesus is going to be the one who will come beside the one who has failed, who needs to be restored. He helped him through a horrible time. And um we might have callers like that that what was their Jesus moment? But but also those other callers who could help us?
Yeah.
Who helped us at that moment?
Well, we have Ed on the line from South Carolina. Ed, what's your story? First of all, thank you for letting me call in. glad to share what the Lord has done. Um I will tell you this.
And this is a special day because It all began to unfold twenty-nine years ago today. with the birth of my firstborn son, James. It was an exciting day, a great day. I had two girls, and James is born. We know the family is complete.
Well, six days later, James went home to be with the Lord. And It was absolutely crushing. And for me My whole grief process got stuck on anger. Mm. And I have this internal raging anger.
about his boss About how it made me feel, how it helped my wife feel, my daughters feel. I was angry at the Lord. I was angry at everything. I kept it inside. It didn't come out, but Definitely from that May throughout the whole summer, I was not reading my Bible.
I was not praying. I was absolutely angry at God. And what's also interesting, I'm on Christian radio at the time. Hey, Ed, that music means that we need to take a break real quick, but can you stay on the line with us so we can hear the rest of your story? Absolutely.
All right, join us again in just a moment. Truth Talk Live You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. Welcome back to Truth Talk Live. I'm Emily Curtis, and I'm here with Dwayne. And we want to hear the answer to this question from you is: How did people show up for you with the grace and mercy of the Lord during a hard season?
We want to hear from you. It's 866-348-7884. And we have Ed on the line right now from South Carolina. And he is sharing with us a heartbreaking story of how he lost his son and how people showed up for him.
So, Ed, thanks for joining us today. You got it. And thank you for allowing me to share the story.
So Kind of picking up where we left off. My son has died six weeks old. throughout that summer, I had just been in this anger with God trying to figure out why he allowed it to happen. And My wife and my daughters, who were four and two, had gone. and I'm sitting at home in a rocking chair that I lock them and James.
And I was in this Anger and the Lord gave me a great gift that August. It was two verses: Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways know Him. And he'll make straight your paths.
Mm. And it just came to me and I remember sitting there thinking and thinking and thinking. And for the first time I picked up my Bible, I began to read. that verse and some psalms And I remember just being overwhelmed and I fell down on the floor and just cry out, Lord, I don't understand, but I trust you. Uh And I got off from that floor without a whole lot of answers, but I knew That he was with me.
Now How the Lord used that is about a month and a half later, someone we knew Had a child who died prematurely. If I remember correctly, it was a two-month-old child. And we were just compelled, we've got to be there for them.
So we showed up to the viewing. and you know there's a long hallway and just as I come into the doorway, I made eye contact with the father who I knew. He was talking in the receiving line. He saw me. I saw him.
He starts walking towards me. We met in the middle of that that room and we just hugged. Hmm. He was crying. I was crying.
It was I don't know how long it was, but it was not a word was said. But to this day, it was the best counseling as I've ever done in my whole life. He knew I knew what he was going through. And without saying a word, in that hug, he just said, Brother. I understand and I'm with you.
And I remember walking out and there was not a dry eye in the room. And to this day, that was the best Counseling that I've done. And all throughout that time, people like Dwayne Danita showed up. Mm-hmm. and just were there.
Sure. loving on us and saying, hey, they drove four point five, five hours. Just to say, hey. We know you're going through it. And we love you.
That meant more to me than anything else. And it has forever shaped my life. I'm a pastor now. Oh, wow. And any time I go to minister to someone, I think about that.
My words don't matter. Just be there. Wow. And what being there is powerful. What a powerful story.
But man, it reminds me when you talk about hugging that friend. It reminds me of a verse we talk about all the time, actually on Hope in the Morning, which is the show I normally host. And it's in 2 Corinthians 1, 3 through 4, which is comforting others with the comfort with which God has comforted us. And really, what that means is being able to declare the goodness and the faithfulness of God. And that's what you were able to do.
You were able to say, brother, I've lost my baby James. And. I can show you that God is still good. You will live to praise Him another day. What a beautiful example of that verse.
And it's getting to a point where you understand Everything in life that happens isn't about you. It's about somebody else. I know that one of the reasons James died had nothing to do with me. Mm. is for my ministry to others.
That I can administer effectively because I've gone through the valley of the shadow of death. But I can say I fear no evil because I know he's with me. Wow. You know, sometimes they add, um, we do get to a place Um Maybe I walk with the Lord is really good. And we start thinking.
I I don't need others. Mm-hmm. And I wrote that down one time, okay? I don't need others, but as I look at the one and others, Others need me. And what you said a little bit ago, Emily, I think it's just so profound.
Those two seasons, you're either in a season of suffering or a season of serving. And sometimes you may be in both, but usually God takes us through: all right, it's a nice season. I'm not dealing with the suffering, but that's got to be your season of serving big time. Absolutely. And you know, one of the great problems that men have.
Yeah.
I'm sorry, yeah. One of the great problems men have is self-reliance. Yes. I'm the king of my domain. But, you know, a lion, when this lion seeks to kill or seek prey, looks for distracted, isolated.
Animals. That's right. And when we get isolated and distracted, we're ripe for the picking. And what we need is God and others to come alongside us. Hey, you're not alone.
I'm here. Yeah.
The devil loves to tell us lies when we are alone. Absolutely. And when you've got someone there with you and you're saying, boy, the devil, he's a liar. That's not who God is. I know he's telling you God doesn't love you.
I know that if God was so kind, he would never allow this to happen to you. Hang on. We've got a bigger God with a bigger purpose, and he does love you. Yeah.
Well, Ed, what a wonderful testimony of God's faithfulness and how you turned his faithfulness in the way that he ministered to you in your hardship on the valley floor. And you transformed that into hope for somebody else.
So, thank you so much for calling in today. And we want to hear your story. We want to hear what the Lord has done for you. Who did He bring in your life that showed you that you're not alone? He hears every prayer, He cares about every tear that falls.
We want to hear. It's 866-348-7884. And we're joined now with Melissa from North Carolina. Melissa, thanks for joining us today. Thank you.
Um Well, I just wanted to say kind of on the heels of Ed. the people that came to minister to me. had also um Okay. They had walked the path before me. And my husband was dying of cancer.
And they would come and bring a meal to me and um Lots of them were widows that I hadn't really known from our church before. And when they did that because I walked through it before, I felt comfortable to ask questions That's Only they could answer. And, um It actually started a beautiful friendship with many of them. And um Even to this day, that twice one, two. for my friends because they they do understand because yeah, the speak two fathers who lost their sons.
understood that pain. And it's the same with Without So Um I have to just say that that that's one of the ways, and then when my husband was was dying, friends of ours would come and spend the night. And meet the medical needs of my husband so that I could rest. And um There. they're more than friends, they're family, but um that was very helpful too.
And that would not have been a way I would have thought to step into someone's pain, but it was very helpful. And um Another way was that one of my daughter's friends um decided that she would start a new tradition with me and at Christmastime make a check mix. That I could give away to friends and stuff, but just spend that one-on-one time together. That music means that we're out of time, but if you'll hang on the line with us, we want to hear the rest of your story when we come back from the break. Will you hang out with us?
Okay.
Alright. Join us again in a moment on Truth Talk Live. Truth. Talk live. You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com.
Welcome back to Truth Talk Live. I'm your host, Emily Curtis today, and I'm joined with Dwayne, and we want to hear how people showed up for you. How people showed you the mercy and grace of the Lord in a hard season, from bringing you meals to watching your kids to that hug that meant everything.
So, we're joined on the line right now with Melissa, and she is a widow, and she's sharing with us how other widows stepped into her grief. And gave her some purpose and a reason to continue to praise the Lord.
So, Melissa, thank you for joining us today. You're welcome. You were telling us how you had a friend who came by and started a new tradition with you. Yes. Um, she's a younger gal.
Um, she's my daughter's age and she Um It has decided to come and make all the stuff for the Checks mix that you can get out at Christmastime that's so special. And she bought all the stuff and brought it over and just the two of us just sat here and my husband died in October, and so December was very hard. And um that was just so sweet a pro. And she continued this year too. And she said it's going to be our new tradition.
Um those kind of things just mean a lot. Yeah.
You know what strikes me is the fact that something that people might think in their heart like, oh, that's such a small thing for me to bring Chexamix stuff over and take it to their house, it becomes a tremendous blessing for somebody who is going through A life-altering trauma in their life. And what an amazing thing. Has that changed the way that you have sought out to serve other people? Yeah.
Um Just because Honestly, before that, I did not know how to talk to people who lost somebody, and I would just, you know, say, Oh, I'm praying for you, but I wouldn't really. Reach out and get involved. But I just see how important it is and it's much easier for me to Be able to reach out to someone who's hurting now since I've been through it and also. it's easier for me to even share my faith because I see how How um Our time on earth is limited, and my husband. Only he He was diagnosed and died within thirty nine days.
And and so I know that life is a vapor.
So You know, one of the things that strikes me with what you just said, with the fact that it's given you more opportunity and boldness to share your faith, is the fact that God often equips us to serve. through suffering. Right.
Because he allows us to Feel that, to feel empathy for one another, to see that. Man, this is what helped me when I was hurting, when I was really just not sure what tomorrow held. And so you want, you just have this natural outpouring desire. to love other people and What a neat thing that it's given you a boldness to share your faith. And that's an incredible, incredible thing.
And it's given you a network of other widows, like you were saying. What a neat thing for the Lord to knit together these unique friendships of other women. who, as you stated before, have walked this path. and uniquely knew what you might need. Because they'd been there before.
Yeah.
Yep. And they were in my church, but I never really was I knew who they were, but I didn't know them. God just, like you said, knit us together and there is that special camaraderie that when you've gone through something like this, It just you know I don't know. you're instant friends and you just have that bond. Yeah.
And the need For people in the church To become more aware of doing the James 127. I was talking to you about this, Emily, that I came across a stat. And um Bible study on roof. And we were talking about them being widows. And all of a sudden you have three widows.
Yeah.
And um and so I just for some reason Googled. Um how many widows? Do we have each becoming widow people women becoming widows each day in the United States. and the number shocked me. I can still see it right now twenty eight hundred.
Right now, every day in America, 2,800 women. This is not including the men. This is just 2,800 women every day. change of status from married Too widow, and we're supposed to care for them. Yeah.
And they, at that moment, it is, it is so gut-wrenching. Who's the roof that comes beside you? Even as a widow herself, she came beside Naomi. I always thought, wow. Ruth, what a hero you really are.
Yeah, yeah. You know, the other thing, you had said that you didn't really know these women very well that came alongside you. And oftentimes, that keeps us from serving people because we think, oh, I don't know them that well. And what a personal trial to go through the loss of your husband, loss of your spouse. It could be a wife as well.
And But they weren't afraid. They stepped up and stepped in. And what an incredible testimony. Mm-hmm. Yep, because I would be the kind that says, well, I don't know them well enough to be that close to them during this time.
Yeah.
But I tell you, these women were. Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
If you're listening, you've got a similar story of how people showed up for you with the grace and mercy of the Lord in a hard season. Call us at 866-348-7884. We want to hear all the unique ways that God showed up for you, just like he showed up for Ed and He showed up for Melissa. Melissa, thank you for joining us today on Truth Talk Live. Thank you.
Bye. Bye. Blessings, Melissa. Um We're waiting on you, listeners, but as you do so. Emily, we had a situation in our family, and I'm going to tell the story on behalf of my wife.
Um my wife experienced a miscarriage. And um When I left to go to work that day, I knew something was wrong. But I was sure nothing was wrong. Because I had work to do, and God wasn't going to. And the next thing I know, I'm being Gently jerked from my classroom by a good friend who said, Get to the hospital with your wife.
So I went to the hospital and we experienced a miscarriage. Hmm. I'm trying to help my wife. Other people are trying to help my wife. We're setting at the house.
Yeah.
And uh I don't know, maybe 20 different people have reached out. And then the phone rang. Duang. Put her on the phone. I put the needle on the phone.
She didn't say a word. I don't know. Maybe they talk 15 minutes. And I saw my wife. Take that deep breath.
It was like all of a sudden the weight Left. And uh She's Hung up. No shit. Huh? I'm choking up and I'm sorry.
She said all. She's been where I am. Hmm. And she does. Yeah.
And that is what she needed. Yeah.
So I convey that that. Again, as you're going through the suffering, Just be aware, God is preparing you for the surfing. Yeah, absolutely. You know, I actually have gone through five miscarriages, and one that to me was one of the most traumatic. Was right before I took on this position at the Truth Network.
And we were expecting a healthy baby boy, and I was extremely nauseous. I get what's called hyperemesis, and so I get sick 18 to 20 times a day in my pregnancies. But for me, that's a sign of a good, strong pregnancy. And we had actually just switched OBs because at the time we knew that my dad was gonna be dying soon. And so.
we switched over to a friend of ours. And that very first appointment, we went in and there was no heartbeat. And it was actually only me and my mom because like you, Ed, my husband thought he's going to be fine, he's going to be healthy. He was away on a work trip and we didn't think anything of it. We went in for that ultrasound and there was no heartbeat.
and our friend, who this was my very first appointment with that friend, He just came in and prayed with us right then and there. Yeah.
The hat. Mm. When you have somebody that knows the Lord and is willing to carry you to the throne in those moments, that's everything. But the other thing that a dear friend of mine did, and this is what I mean when I say, look for the little things that you might think, like, oh, that's a weird thing to offer. I don't know if I should offer that, offer it.
A friend of mine contacted me. She knew that I had already bought clothes after finding out we were having a baby boy. And she called me and she said, Give me those clothes. She made all of those returns. Um I didn't have to return a thing, you know, so I didn't have to sit there.
and watch them scan those items in and return those things. You know, one thing at a time, just knowing with every beep that you hear of the return, it's a reminder that there was no heartbeat. And man, there is such a There's such a difference when somebody has walked through that. And I think, um, Miscarriage is one of those things, especially where it's very misunderstood when people haven't gone through it. And man, I've even seen how the Lord has made my husband so much more compassionate Out of the miscarriages that we've had, because like I said, we've had five, and the first one, it wasn't that he wasn't compassionate, but Men and women do react differently to a baby in the womb.
They just do because, you know, for women, it's like the second you see those two pink lines, you change everything. You change the way you eat. You change everything. You don't feel well. Like everything shifts.
And, um, My husband, you know, especially when we lost that baby boy, he just he wept. And he was able to turn to other men as well and say, hey, you know, what can I do to comfort my wife? And. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
And that could be the way sometimes you're helping as with your question. You're the one who's able to tell someone else how to. Help. Yeah, yeah. And if you, I mean, if you've got a story, we want to hear it.
It's 866-348-7884. You know, who came to you and helped you in that way that you would have never thought to seek out help. There's so many unique ways that We don't even think to ask for help in those ways and yet Those can be some of the most powerful ways that stick with you for a very long time.
So, we wanna hear your story. 866-348-7884. Truth Rockline. You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. Welcome back to Truth Talk Live.
We are talking today about how people showed up for you with the grace and mercy of the Lord in a hard season. If you have a story to share with us, the number is 866-2666. 348-7884. We want to hear from you. I'm joined today also with Dwayne, and we are talking about the ways the Lord showed up for us in our lives as well.
And if you are wanting to step in and serve other people, but maybe you're just not sure why, like, or not, you're not sure how to do that. My ministry is called Hope in the Morning. It's M-O-U-R-N-I-N-G. And actually, one of the resources that we have is a book by the same title, Hope in the Morning. And it's a compilation of 21 different stories, but at the end of every story, the authors share what was helpful and what was hurtful, and really unique ways that people served them.
Ways that I would have never thought about as I was compiling this. And if you're looking for ways to serve, it's a great resource for you just to thumb through and say, hey, my friend is going through a miscarriage or the loss of a spouse. I'm going to go read those chapters about. You know, the two widows in here, or what ministered to them specifically? And they talk about everything from like what scriptures really anchored them on those hardest days and nights.
And then they talk about like practical ways of service. And then, you know, the what do you not say? Because we've all said things that time heals all wounds. You're going to be okay. Yep.
The Lord doesn't give us more than we can handle. That's not biblical for those that are listening. He gives us more than we can handle. Talk law. Yes.
So we're going to speak that truth. Yeah.
I mean, the amount of people that think, well, the Lord won't give us more than we can handle. Yes, He does. He does it all the time because that's what drives us to the feet of Jesus is to realize. I have nothing, I have nothing to get me out of this situation but for the grace of God. And how did people show up?
being the grace of God to you. Again, we want to hear it's 866 348 7884. How did the Lord place people uniquely in your life to minister to you during a hard season? And and what scriptures I'm with date the word. I just want to I want to hear.
uh those various scriptures You know, Emily, there's the component of death coming into a family's life in different ways. Um grandparents die. Uh parents die. A baby dies, a child dies. Um Siblings So you got all these different components.
I found the most difficult. as a pastor is walking that valley when a child dies. Those parents Um That statement, this is not how it's supposed to be. Yeah.
And, um, Not long ago, I conducted a funeral of this is not how it's supposed to be. And. Yeah.
There's a couple Bible verses that we go to many times. Psalms 34, 18. The Lord is near the brokenhearted. He saves that person that's so broken. But uh As you look at that brokenhearted, there's Psalms 147.3.
It says he heals the brokenhearted. And you know our friend Robbie Dillmore, we love to get into the Hebrew and stuff. And he dove in for me one day because I was getting ready to do a funeral for my cousin whose son had died. And here I am, Dwayne Carson, and his name is Carson. And I'm going to be doing his funeral.
And it's my first cousin's son. Oh my gosh, it is just gut-wrenching. At the prime of his life, 30s, guy is out there making it happen. And he gets a brain tumor. And so I know their heart more than when my grandmother died, I understood at heart, but When my dad died, I understood.
But here her son has died.
Well, Psalms 147.3, he heals the brokenhearted, speaks of that. doctor who's able to suture I hope I said that right back together. But the brokenhearted Robbie brought brought out was Not one that's like the meme where it's just cut down the middle. Yeah.
It's been hit with scrapnel. Yeah.
And it's got cuts in all different places. And that's why your question of who has come alongside to help. Because People need help in different ways. Um some people's heart has been cut deeply.
Some it's been Touch just a little bit, but it's still a little nick, just the wrong touch, irritates it. Yeah.
And the bee have that sensitivity to come aside. And then the word, he binds. Yeah.
And the word bind, I love Rob. He dives into the Hebrew. He says, all right, Duane, here's the deal. It's the word saddle. He saddles your heart.
First time the word's used is in Genesis, where Abraham saddled his donkeys.
So to bind is to saddle. He puts his Saddle of love around the heart, of comfort around the heart. And when you have those Bible verses to share with people. Um I I've seen that glimmer of hope. Start coming back into their eyes.
Yeah, yeah. You know, you made a good point because when somebody loses a loved one, especially a child, but when they lose a loved one, we oftentimes think that it's just that loss. You know, you're missing that child. It's a million losses. And so it really, you know, made me think about what you were saying.
And this is how I felt when we lost our baby, which actually his name was James as well. Is that it wasn't just a broken heart, it was a shattered heart. And when things are shattered, man, you think about all the, if you've dropped a glass, if you've broken a glass or a piece of pottery, there's no way that you can pick up every little minuscule piece there. And again, you know, we want to hear your story and how the Lord took your shattered heart and how He bound your wounds at 866-348-7884. Tell us how the Lord came through for you with the compassion of others.
And You know, it's looking for those things and putting yourself in somebody else's shoes where you can see that. If they lost a child, they lost they lost their other children's sibling. They lost all those future birthdays. They lost graduation. They lost a future of what they hoped it would be.
And I've often actually thought, you know, with the loss of a parent. or a grandparent, you lose a piece of your past. And that's hard because now you can't ask those questions. All of those memories of what you shared with them come flooding your mind. It's like this piece of who you are now.
is it has now left the earth. But when you lose a child, you lose your future. And, you know, it's not, we don't lose, we don't lose our future in a biblical sense, but we lose what we hope for here on earth for the life of that child.
Well I think that's what my first cousin, she you could just could sense. All these dreams they had for him and the things that he was doing. God, what why and um As I've as a pastor And I want to say, just as a fellow human being trying to understand this to help other people, I remembered a pastor said, you know, God had a son. and he died. And there's always the higher purpose with God.
Ecclesiastes 7. Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of a party. Why? Because wisdom is there. And God uses these.
unexpected, untimed deaths. to wake up people to the reality of life. Life is a vapor, as Melissa was saying. You know, all of a sudden, you're diagnosed with something 39 days later. Yeah.
Oh wow. And you know what? There is. As hard as it is. There is a blessedness in suffering, and we can search for that and find it.
And one of the things that is a blessing in that is it drastically loosens our grip of what we find precious here on earth because it sets our eyes on heaven. It makes us long for that. It makes us think of it more than we ever would otherwise. And man, it just makes it so much more beautiful and it makes us seek out the light of Christ in our darkness. And I wanted to read a poem here that I hope encourages some people, maybe it encourages you to call us and share your story here of how people sat with you in the ashes.
Again, our number is 866-348-7884. And this poem is in our book, Hope in the Morning. It's called Hope. And it says, Friend, Let me sit with you in the ashes and grieve with you in sorrow as your heart mourns the loss of all the dreams you held for tomorrow. Cry upon my shoulder and let me bear your pain.
until your heart is strengthened so you can rise again. And when the morning comes, please take my outstretched hand. Look up at my face and find courage as you stand. I will replace your tears with joy, and give you grace and peace to cope. and I will fill all your tomorrows with the sweetest gift of hope.
And the verse that goes with that is Psalm 119, 114, and it says, You are my hiding place and my shield. I hope in your word. And that is what we have. I mean, you do a segment called Date the Word, and our hope is in. The word.
We know that his word does not return void. And he promises he'll never leave us, he'll never forsake us. That includes on the valley floor. When you feel like, man, nobody sees these tears I'm crying into my pillow at night, God does. God sees every one of them.
He cares and he puts it in his bottle. We want to hear from you. Call us at 866-348-7884. Well, we got to go the other direction right now, Emily. We gotta thank everybody.
Thank you for joining us today on Truth Talk Live. And be sure and listen tomorrow and know that God loves you.
