March 10, 2023, marks the second death anniversary of my father. I still remember the day he passed away–it was a time of grief, heartbreak, and anguish. I was in denial at first–death seemed so unreal at the time and even to this day, it feels like a wave that unexpectedly came crashing in. However, the pain, rejection, mistrust, doubts, and the blend of many other negative emotions that I felt after his passing was VERY REAL. But looking back, I have tasted and seen what God has done for me and my family, and I can boldly declare Romans 8:28,

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.

Here is the catch though–“…for the good of those who love Him.” When I was in the season of heartbreak, a time when things were not going the way I planned, I had days when I was sad and mad. However, I continued to love God. I still believed that His plans for me were good. Yes, there were moments when the uncertainty of situations made me anxious and sulk but I took intentional steps to walk out of that place. Know that, His promises are not based on our circumstances or feelings, and when we truly know God, we rejoice in the hope we have in Him. This is our victory! In hindsight, I can say that we have seen God’s faithfulness in our lives, and he has used all of the bad and ugly situations of my life to shape me into the woman of God that I am today. 

March 10, 2022, is when we launched my father’s biography, “Like Father, like father”–it was a day that I will never forget. My Pappa’s life and legacy, carefully wrapped in the pages of this book to encourage, inspire and challenge the young and old to take on the baton of evangelism and mission work, and run the race with perseverance. We heard hundreds of people tell us how they have been so touched by my father’s story; preachers and pastors said that the story challenged them to continue serving the Lord despite the struggles and persecution. This was a great encouragement to me, personally, and us, as a family. God took what the enemy meant for evil and turned it for good. The death and what I felt post the funeral had the strength and intensity to degrade my faith. Grief can be toxic–not only to oneself but also to the ones around. But God’s love is greater than the most toxic grief. Once you recognize it, you get a glimpse of the bigger picture that He is painting for you.

God’s love is greater than the most toxic kind of grief. Once you recognize it, you get a glimpse of the bigger picture that He is painting for you.

The greatest turnaround in history took place on the cross. What seemed like utter defeat got turned around into the greatest victory. This is the biggest example of God being true to His Word, and that He works all things for good for those who love Him. What I tagged as my season of defeat and failure, was turned around by God into a season of victory and joy.
You may be in a difficult season while reading this article. There might be pain, disappointment, heartbreak, loss, disease, or rejection. Don’t let bitterness get the best of you. Don’t let grief keep bruising you. And don’t let anger control you. This list of ‘don’ts’ seems irrational and it may look that way right now but know that you can beat bitterness, grief, and anger only with love. Tell God what you feel; He is NOT YOUR ENEMY. He hears, He sees and He knows the most intricate detail of your life. And He can do what He did for me–TURN THINGS FOR YOUR GOOD.

Like Joseph said in Genesis 50:20,
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

I can empathize better with others who are grieved by loss because of the season of difficulty I went through. God is using my story to encourage, inspire and edify the ones He has planted in my life. God is faithful so trust him with your story. You may not see the silver lining now, but know that He is using all that you are going through to fertilize your growth.
Another lesson I learned in these past two years is diving deep, thoroughly studying, and learning about the ‘home’ where my Papa is already–the home that we are heading to. We know so little about heaven and I urge you to join me in learning more about this place. The knowledge of heaven will fill us with so much hope, confidence, and joy. Knowing that your loved ones who knew the Lord are in a place of love and no pain. As I journeyed through my period of grieving the loss of my father, I began diving deep into the Word to understand what the scripture says about heaven. And it truly filled me with hope. One of the books that I highly recommend is ‘Heaven’ by Randy Alcorn–it has been a blessing to me.
We often think of heaven as a mystical place with spirits floating in the clouds, harp music in the background, and streets of gold. But I have understood that heaven is not a place for spirits to float around. Heaven is a real physical place where resurrected people live and engage in meaningful relationships and conversations. It is a place that we can call HOME–a place with physical things that we can touch and feel.
I encourage you to learn more about heaven from the scriptures; it will fill you with so much hope and joy. Hebrew 12:1 says, “Therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”
Here the writer to the Hebrews exhorts all who profess faith in Jesus to do two things: put off any burden that keeps us from Christ-likeness and persevere patiently, enduring all things until we grow and mature in faith.
So, keep trusting the Lord; He never fails.

Here is a final takeaway verse for you:

Jeremiah 17:7-8

⁷ “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
⁸ They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

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