Episode 84 Faith Through the Fire: A Story of Loss, Doubt, and Redemption

Dear Ron,

Listening to this podcast, uprooted the pain and sorrow that I experienced when I lost my Chris. You may recall that she suffered with ALS. When Reagan talked about her grandmother and her cousin who slowly deteriorated it reminded me of the struggle that Chris endured. At first she lost strength in her arms and her back, then she lost the ability to talk clearly, then she could no longer swallow. I often think about the grieving process and recognize that screaming starts when the loved one begins that downhill travel. I know that I lost Chris early in her disease.

Having gone through the loss of the loved one is one of the hardest things we encounter in this life. At the time of Chris’s death,I had already experienced the loss of grandparents and my mom and dad. Those were difficult but losing a spouse, the mother of our children, was most difficult.

I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through this loss without the strength, peace, and comfort of Jesus. When we go through difficult times, we have to pray and worship our way through it. I’m learning that during those times as we draw closer to Jesus, we grow stronger in our faith in our trust in him who can do all things.

When I listen to your podcasts, I envy those that you interview. Most of them came to know Jesus at younger ages. I, on the other hand, did not know Jesus until later in life. But my envy is just a worldly thing because I know that Jesus accepts me right where I’m at.

Thank you for all that you do, for the encouragement and the spiritual growth that I encounter when I listen to Living Grounded devotions and podcasts. God Bless you always.