Today I will be sharing a beautiful blogpost by my sweet friend, Marie Pritchett. Marie and I work together in our Grace In The Wilderness ministry. She knows first hand about finding hope after tragedy. Marie has a beautiful heart for ministry and a deep love for others, especially those who are hurting. After her son Josh was killed in a car accident in 2005, she has been led to help others who have lost children, and does so with a devoted passion to continue Josh’s wonderful legacy.

Every Christmas, we host a Grace In The Wilderness Christmas Brunch for moms who have lost children. This year it will be on December 8 at Blue Ridge View Baptist Church from 9-1:30. If you are a mom who has lost a child, we welcome you to attend. There is no cost but registration is needed. Please visit www.wildernessgrace.org to register or for more information. If you know of someone who might like to attend, please share this information with them. Thank you.

Please join me in welcoming and thanking Marie today. Her beautiful message of hope is below.

“When a tragedy strikes, everything you dreamed of, everything you hoped for is gone in a split second.

When a wife loses a husband, she is called a widow.  When a husband loses a wife, he is called a widower. When a child loses his parents, they are called an orphan. But, did you know… there is no word for a parent who loses a child, because it can’t be described.

Losing a child is an unnatural experience no parent should ever have to face.  Unfortunately, there are those of us who are on this journey. I have faced the gut-wrenching pain of losing my son.  Josh died just weeks before his 21st birthday. He was my first child and would have been 34 years old this past September.

You don’t ever get over the loss, and parts of you may never accept it, but you must find ways to cope with it the best you can. I’m not saying it’s easy, because it’s not. In fact, it is the toughest thing any of us will ever endure.

For me, I knew I had to find Hope when ALL Hope was gone.  I was reaching, no grasping, for anyone, anything at all that would give me even a sliver of hope. I needed hope that things were going to be ok. I had so many questions about why. Why did this have to happen? Why me? Why my son?  I needed to know that me and my family would eventually find a new normal. Not perfect, not like we were, but at least ok.

There is always a tiny bit of hope left, even in the most dire situation because God is HOPE.

Rick Warren said, “What gives me the most hope every day is God’s grace; knowing that His grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face,  and knowing that nothing is a surprise to God.”

There are times when we need others to help us through the storms of life. We need someone to walk with us through the valley, and to help us slowly climb back up the mountain.  I have been so blessed to be surrounded by a wonderful family and the most amazing friends in the world.  They have truly carried me, Joel and Ali over the last 13 years.  No matter how rough the storms are in your life, no matter how hopeless the situation, there is always a rainbow of hope, during and after the storm awaiting you through God’s love.

We are now in the holiday season and for some of you this may be the first year without your child, spouse, mom, dad, brother or sister.  Our grief always becomes more pronounced on special family occasions. Holidays are a time to remember and a time to be thankful.  But when someone you love is missing, it is sometimes too hard to remember and even more difficult to be thankful.  Take it slowly and do whatever it takes for you and your family to deal with the absence of your loved one.  Don’t let anyone pressure you into doing the usual things just because it is “tradition”.  You may or may not be able to deal with that yet.  Although holidays will never be the same, I want my family to know that life did not end when Josh died.  I want to look back and be able to smile because of the memories we created both before Josh’s accident and after Josh’s accident.

God knew the exact day Josh would be born, and God knew the day Josh would be taken home to heaven.  God blessed me with 7482 precious days with my son. I know my son is not coming back to this earth. But I also know that he is very much alive in heaven, and one day we will be reunited again.

Romans 8:28 says, “All things work for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose”. 

God can use something as horrible as the death of a child to bring others to him.  What better way to honor God and our children than to let people see God shining through us.  If they see HOPE in us, I truly believe that lives can be changed for all eternity.  Our children can still make a difference.  Let it begin today, let it begin in you!”

Thank you for reading and sharing the blogpost today. May the hope of Jesus Christ carry you and your family through your journey of life no matter what comes.