This Is Your Plan?

He walked into my life the year I turned thirty-seven.

He was a marathon runner, and I secretly hoped he would teach me how to run. He loved hiking, and I loved the mountains. I could not have hoped for a better match.

For fourteen years, we ran together, hiked together, and traveled the world. Then, one day I received a phone call from the sheriff that shattered my heart.

Some mountain bikers had found my husband dead on a hiking trail.

For the next few weeks, I was in shock. I found myself confused, disoriented, and angry! I spent hours in the local bookstore looking for books on how to deal with grief. I desperately wanted to understand how to navigate this minefield. I devoured Bible promises on comfort and hope. I avoided listening to the radio or watching anything about love on TV.

I wanted to shut it all out of my mind! I hated happy people who seemed to go about their lives as if nothing had happened. As I tried to wrap my head around my new normal, I measured myself against the five stages of grief and wondered whether I would survive this season. Crying out to God, I asked Him continually to help me understand.

I wrote out Bible texts on three-by-five cards and carried them in my purse. Through my Bible reading and prayer, God reminded me of His unconditional love.

He told me again that He had great plans for me.

Over the next few months, I began to put one foot in front of another. Life slowly started to move forward again, and I discovered that others could learn from my experience and receive comfort for their own sorrow. The heartache of losing my husband helped me reset my goals, focus, and desires. I want to encourage you, if you are going through a similar experience, to reach out to Jesus. He is your best Friend. Talk to Him and read His Word.

This is how I found the healing I so desperately needed.

You will find your healing in that same safe place.

God does have a purpose and a plan for each of us.

He sees our tears. He knows our heartache, and He cries when we cry.

And this God who loves us so has promised us a heaven where there will be no more tears, for He will wipe them all away!

Judy Casper