Today I have a guest blogger, Debbie Holman. I met Debbie through Jamie Britt, an amazing young woman who writes touching women’s devotions at Encouraging Women.
From Debbie:
Birthdays are suppose to be special, a day to celebrate! However,
November 18,1997 was not a birthday to be celebrated! Not your usual,
typical birthday!
It was my birthday and the day my husband chose to announce to me he
was leaving me for a sweetheart he had when he was in high school. No
amount of begging or pleading would change his mind. How would I
explain this to my friends and church family?
I was embarrassed, ashamed, and alone. How could I face them knowing
what an active role my husband had taken in church? Well, with much
prayer and support from my mother I went back to church and offered to
resign from leadership roles I had there. No one wanted me to
resign, and I found my church family to be supportive.
Five weeks later on January 9, 1998 another devastating event happened
in my life. My father died from complications of Alzheimers. What
would I do now? Just the presence of my father had been a comfort.
I was a daddy’s girl and loved him very much. What more could
happen and how much did God expect me to take? Losing my husband and
father just five weeks apart was too much for one person to deal with.
I asked myself over and over, where was God in all of this? Had
He left me to deal with all of this alone? One morning on my way to
work I put a CD in by one of my favorite Christian singers, Babbie
Mason. She was singing a song titled God Has Another Plan. I had
never really listened to the words of this song but for some reason
that morning was different.
I listened to the words. In her song she quotes Jeremiah 29:11 –
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord,
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
I played that song over and over on my way to work. Suddenly it was as
if a voice from within said to me: “Debbie, trust me and have faith. I have a plan. For you are going through the storm now, but what a beautiful rainbow will follow the
storm. I will carry you through this storm each and every day. I will
give you hope and a future.”
If it had not been for this verse and my faith that God would provide
that rainbow at the end of the storm I could not have survived. He
proved Himself faithful. Through all of this I have become a
stronger person and my faith has grown tremendously.
So, whenever I discover someone I know is going through storms in their life, I quote Jeremiah 29:11 and tell them, “Let God carry you through this storm. Look for that beautiful rainbow He has waiting for you after the storm.”
What storm has God carried you through lately?
Debbie Holman,
Guest Blogger
Granite Falls
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Comments 15
Debbie, that Jeremiah passage is also one of my favorites. It provides such encouragement to know that God has a plan. I pray that all your birthdays since that dreadful year have been celebrations. God bless.
Author
I pray that for Debbie as well, Johnnie!
Praise God for His unfailing love and unwavering faithfulness toward Debbie and for all His suffering servants. He knows. He sees. He provides
Author
Indeed He does! Thanks for stopping by, Cheryl!
Hope is the one thing we cannot survive without. Great bible passage, Debbie!! Thank you for sharing that with us!! And may you continue to heal under God’s grace. 😉
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Kathy, you are so right! Without hope there is nothing!
Hang in there and all your prayers will be answered.
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So true, Pat, so true. Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for sharing the hardship and your sweet strong answer, Debbie. I’d be interested in hearing the rest of the story since then, as I’m sure God has been sending some golden rays to slice through and gradually destroy the darkness. MQY God bless you lots.
That was supposed to be MAY God bless you lots!
Author
So glad you’re home, Wandering One! Yes, I hope Debbie writes another post and fills us in.
Debbie, Thanks so much for sharing your heart and God’s Word with us. Your ability to conitnue to proclaim Him praiseworthy bring Him much glory and show what a faithful God we have. I’m so sorry for what you have been through, but God has built a strong testimony through you. You have made me want to really meditate on this verse that is so familiar that I know I sometimes gloss over the amazing promise it contains. Thanks, again!
Jenny G.
Author
Oh, Jenny, that is a great verse isn’t it. It’s so comforting to know that God holds us close to His heart, and that He has a plan for us.
Debbie, thanks for sharing this. It’s easy to lose sight of Him in the midst of those storms. I’ve done that so many times. Thankfully, He’s there whether we can see Him or not, and He is faithful even when we’re faithless. I have to praise Him for His continual renewal of our hearts. Reminds me of a new song by Tenth Avenue North, called “Worn.” I think you’d appreciate it. http://youtu.be/UUEy8nZvpdM
Author
I love that song, Renee! I’m so thankful that God’s love isn’t based on me.