How do you prepare yourself for loss? What do you do in the days before your world encounters a seismic shift? Can you ever truly be ready to face your greatest pain?
For Melissa Swain, nothing could fully prepare her for the unexpected loss of her husband, Chris, in 2021 but in the days long before such a tragic grief, she had made the decision to trust God no matter what. Just a few years before in 2019, her family faced the unexpected death of her brother, Aaron. In a way, the Lord used that difficult time to prepare her heart for more grief she would walk through as a widow. As Melissa wrestled through the pain of losing her sibling and then her husband, she was faced with more unexpected circumstances when the fate of her husband's almost finished manuscript laid in the hands of his publisher. Was she the one to take his work and bring it across the finish line? She did and the book they completed unexpectedly together called "Write it On Their Hearts: Practical Help for Discipling Your Kids" was not only a way to keep her connected to Chris after his death, but it also served as a means for him to continue to love and parent his children in the days that followed while helping other families as well.
In this candid conversation, Davey talks with Melissa about what it looks like to grieve well, why our pre-decisions about God are so important when it comes to preparing us for pain, and how to wait on God when you aren't sure what is next.
If you've ever wondered how you could prepare your heart for the suffering that inevitably comes this side of heaven, Melissa's hard-won wisdom will encourage you to decide who you think God is before you ever get that phone call that changes everything.
Website: www.WriteItOnTheirHearts.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/WITHtheSwains
Twitter: www.twitter.com/WITHtheSwains
Book: Write It On Their Hearts: Practical Help for Discipling Your Kids
We want to partner with you this holiday season and help you give the gift of healing. From now through December 9th, you can get a discount on any of the products in our store: www.nothingiswasted.com/store
Just use the promo codes:
HEALING5 ($5 off $25)
HEALING15 ($15 off $70)
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Want to find everything Nothing is Wasted offers for your specific pain point? Check out our Curated Pathways: www.nothingiswasted.com/pathways
Episode 304 - Walking into a New Year After Loss with Davey Blackburn
Episode 303 - Hope for the Holidays with Amy Sylvestre
Episode 302 - Practical Steps for Walking through Grief with Beth Marshall
Episode 301 - Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America with Dr. Russell Moore
Episode 300 - God Never Gives Up On You with Max Lucado
Episode 299 - Healing Gently After Childhood Trauma with Dr. Mark McNear
Episode 298 - Every Moment Holy with Doug McKelvey and Ned Bustard
Episode 297 - Caring for A Loved One with Alzheimer’s with Edward Grinnan
Episode 296 - Stumbling Toward Eternity with Josh White
Episode 295 - Learning from Elisabeth Elliot’s Legacy in Our Own Pain with Kathy Reeg
Episode 294 - Helping Men Find Strength and Tenderness After Trauma with Chris Bruno
Episode 293 - Finding Gospel Hope in Divorce with Barnabas Piper
Episode 292 - The Art of Overcoming with Tim Timberlake
Episode 291 - Breaking Free from the Shame of Porn Addiction with Jessica Harris
Episode 290 - Beholding God in our Suffering with Strahan Coleman
Episode 289 - Experiencing Redemption after Our Pain with Lily Meschi
Episode 288 - Releasing Shame and Finding Grace in Our Stories with Ines Franklin
Episode 287 - Raised to Stay after Church Hurt with Natalie Runion
Episode 286 - How to Break Cycles, Heal From Trauma, and Restore Your Faith with Kobe Campbell
Episode 285 - Reflections on Family, Ethnicity, and the Sacred Work of Belonging with Tasha Jun
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