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)
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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 225 - Wrestling with God in Grief with John Onwuchekwa
Episode 224 - Redemption Out of the Dust with Chris and Steph Teague
Episode 223 - Healing from the Hurt of Purity Culture
Episode 222 - Making Today Count with Liset Navas
Episode 221 - Finding Beauty in the Valley of Miscarriage with Abbey Wedgeworth
Episode 220 - Life Is a Vapor with Micah McElveen
Episode 219 - Wrestling through the Emotions of Job Loss with Dale Kreienkamp
Episode 218 - Learning to Depend on God after Loss with Lisa Appelo
Episode 217 - Holding onto Hope in the Midst of War with Yuriy and Madison Perekotiy
Episode 216 - How to Heal Our Racial Divide with Derwin Gray
Episode 215 - The Path Out of Loneliness with Dr. Mark Mayfield
Episode 214 - Happiness is Down Syndrome with Misty Snyder
Episode 213 - Experiencing God’s Breakthroughs in Infertility and Miscarriage with Traci McCombs
Episode 212 - Walking with Grief with Clarissa Moll
Episode 211 - Learning to Lean into our Pain with Jackie Hill Perry
Episode 210 - Speaking Up Against Abuse of Power with Tiffany Bluhm
Episode 209 - Finding Passion and Purpose in Pain with Jesse Bradley
Episode 208 - Catherine McNiel
Episode 207 - Curt Thompson
Episode 205 - Brittany Tinsley
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