Tragedy Struck
25 years ago Nov 8, my daughter, Allysa, died. My vision was obscured as it felt like my own life was being torn from me. I was not able to see what my own life was capable of becoming. Her death felt incredibly cruel and senseless. This is my story from tragedy to triumph.
I received a book from a friend which reminded me that God knew exactly how I was feeling. This caused me to feel a sudden sense of connection to Him. I read this book and realized He watched His only son die because of His love FOR ME! Our loving Father has made a way through the gift of His son, for all of us to experience His closeness in every situation and for all eternity. Nothing can get in between us…nothing!
Peace Came Rushing In
As I read the words on the pages of this book, suddenly, I felt the tangible peace of God in my life for the very first time as I cried out to Him for strength. As I realized there will be a day when I will see her and hold her again, hope began to rise. I began to understand there was an eternal purpose and value in the tragedy.
Was God trying to teach me a lesson through this tragic loss?
Absolutely NOT, but I do believe that when tragedy strikes, there are opportunities to grow in Him as we turn to him for strength, hope, and healing. ALL of life’s experiences, good and bad, have value attached to them. The value for me was in knowing the peace and love of God in a way that touched me so deeply that it changed my life forever.
It was this tragedy that I began to allow God to shape my life, my relationships, every opportunity and adventure into what He had for me. I have found people and places and talents and loveliness on the new path as I let go of the old path. What seemed so merciless ended up yielding the greatest mercies of all, helping me find exactly what I was meant to find and who I was meant to find and do exactly what I am meant to do.
Emotions Linger Until We Surrender Them
Did I always have this outlook? No! At one point, I was afraid of what I was feeling. I eventually discovered the value of letting myself feel what I was feeling. I learned how to “listen” to my feelings so I could surrender them to God. Emotions will linger until we really listen to them instead of trying to stuff them down to a hidden place. The beauty is that God gives you the opportunity to begin again. With His help, joy will come back, confidence will come back, dreams will come back…even laughter will come back. Surrendering the pain and disappointment to God moved me from tragedy to triumph.
Tragedy has many different faces. It might not be death for you. You may be experiencing some other form of loss. It might even be that something didn’t turn out the way you thought it was supposed to. The changes and shifts that come in your life may feel swift and wild. It might seem as though the carpet is being ripped right out from underneath you.
Here are some helpful tips to help you through this difficulty:
- Trust the journey you are on, friend. Continue to surrender these areas to Him and allow the Father to lead you into new areas. You are on your way somewhere so magnificent that it will take your breath away.
- Give yourself permission to feel the sadness. Acknowledge it but don’t carry it. Instead, surrender it to the Lord and allow Him to carry the weight of it.
- Don’t ignore the triggers or reminders of this tragic moment. Recognize it and surrender it again. Ask Holy Spirit to minister peace and healing to you through His love. Surrender instead of Stuffing your emotions.
- Don’t give up now…keep going…stay on the path…not far off there is a life like you could never imagine. What seems like the end may very well be the beginning of something spectacular. There’s beauty waiting for you on the other side of the storm!
After you have read this article, please leave a comment below and let me know if this encouraged you.
