From Grief to Grace: A Story of Renewal

In 1984, my life changed forever. My mother died, and nine months later my father died. I was in my early twenties, married, and still in college. Life wasn’t supposed to happen like that. Over the next few years, my wife and I sold my parents’ home and merged much of their furniture with ours. We purchased a new home and had a baby girl. Life on the outside looked great, but something was missing. I now know that I was grieving the loss of my parents. It had happened so quickly. 

One week, there was a terrible rainstorm. It stormed steadily for two days — thunder, lightning, flooded streets, and flickering power. Then, just as quickly as it had begun, the storm stopped. On Sunday morning I woke up to no thunder or rain, just the bright sun shining through our kitchen window that overlooked the front yard. In the middle of our yard, I saw a black object. Could it be a large blackbird or a garbage bag? Curiosity got the best of me, so I quickly put on my clothes and walked outside. 

Once I got closer, I realized it was a book, open and face down. I picked up the book to put it in the garbage can, and to my surprise it wasn’t wet or even damp. And it wasn’t just any book; it was a Bible. I thumbed through the Bible looking for a clue as to who the owner might be. It was my mother’s! It had her name written in it along with an Upper Room devotional guide she used as a placeholder, opened to the next day’s Bible study: January 9, 1984 — the date of her death. At that time, a warm feeling came across me, much like I believe John Wesley had at Aldersgate. My faith was renewed, and my life was changed forever.