by Molly Jo Nyman
If grief were a destination, no one would choose to go there. It’s the inescapable, often unforeseen turns that land us in that sorrowful place.
We’re told grief is something we must go through, but what if the dark tunnel goes on and on? What if we find ourselves stuck there?
Jen Croucher recently shared how God’s Word was the Truth that set her free from grief. Her story is told in the hope that it comforts and dispels the darkness for others.
For over a decade I carried the heavy burden of grief.
On April 2, 2009, I got the call that wrecked my world. My only big sister had been tragically killed in a car accident.
She was my best friend and second mom. We spent every birthday together, talked daily, and never argued. We had so many things planned.
After the call, I went to her house to pack up her things, and the pain broke me. There was her wet towel, her Bible, all her things left like she would be right back. When she got in the car that day, my sister didn’t know she’d be hit head on and die because a driver couldn’t wait to read a text.
I felt like I died too. Without her, I had no idea who I was. I shut down parts of my life because I felt like I didn’t deserve to be happy, just like she didn’t deserve to die. The grief consumed me, and though I didn’t want to carry it, I also couldn’t seem to give it up. I felt like my grief was the last act of love I was giving her.
I wanted to be free from the pain. I wanted to let it go without letting her go. So I saw a therapist and a psychologist, but nothing was helping. I kept reading my Bible, and nothing clicked. Until one day . . .
I read a verse that I’d read a million times before, usually in the King James Version, but on this day I read it in the New Living Translation. It was Isaiah 57:1-2:
Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.
These words hit me like a ton of bricks and gave me the breakthrough I’d been longing for. Tears started streaming down my face when the truth hit me. No, my sister didn’t deserve to die, but she did have God’s protection. He can see what we can’t, and He was keeping her safe. My sister is now resting in His peace!
Finally, I could let go of the pain, suffering, and grief—because I knew that she was in the most beautiful place and that one day we would be together again. I felt a huge weight lift from me.
God is so good and so faithful. The grief I carried after my sister’s death stopped me from fully living, and it made me sick and depressed. But there is such power in God’s Word. Praise God!
I highly encourage you to get the NLT because it is much easier to understand and less intimidating than other translations. I am forever grateful for the NLT because through it and with Christ, I have finally found freedom from my grief.
We would love to hear your NLT Story. You can share it with us here
*Photos are stock photos