When I was ten years old my family went on a wonderful vacation to the Hawaiian Islands. We were blessed to be able to spend our holiday in a place that was right on the beach. Each morning when I woke up I would impatiently wait until the sun rose and then would excitedly run outside to see what the tide had brought in during the night. Some days the tide brought colorful pieces of coral and on other days, delicate shells. Some mornings, I could only find sea foam. But, my favorite discoveries were the tiny sea creatures that would be left in the tide pools at the shore. There were crabs and starfish, sea anemones, and tropical fish. Each day was an exciting challenge as I searched for new treasures that awaited me.

Now, I am facing a different challenge. I’m learning how to live my life without my daughter. I’m still trying to figure it out. Her rejection has been a crushing blow. Some days are better than others,

but still, I often find myself discouraged and stuck in my grief.  I know God has a plan through this and I know He loves me, but sometimes I struggle to figure out how to do this. How do I get through each day? How do I keep my heart from splitting just a little bit more? Navigating these foreign waters and keeping my head above the waves is difficult. But still, I’m trying. I’m looking to God each day and breathing Him in. 

This morning I read an incredibly encouraging post by my friend, Shelly, at Renewed Daily. In it she shared of her struggle with chronic illness and how she discovered how to manage her life through it. She encouraged us to trust God, continue praying…and just keep going. God will help us. His mercies are new each day!


“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’” Lamentations 3:22-24

I will wait for Him just as I did as a child waiting for the sun to rise so I could find the treasures the tide had brought in. Each day He is showering His love on me as He cares for me during this time. I know that He is strengthening me and He is giving me the tools to keep going. Each day is a new day and on the tide comes new hope. Hope for survival. Hope for healing. And hope for a future full of treasures with Him. “So now I know what I have to do. I have to keep breathing. And tomorrow the sun will rise, and who knows what the tide will bring in.” - William Broyles Jr., Cast Away 


Breathing Him in,







24 Comments

  1. Great big hugs to you today my friend. May He uphold you in His loving embrace.

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  2. Thank you, Barbie! I'm trusting Him, knowing that He is bringing me through this. Each day is a new day, full of hope and His love!

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  3. It's all about actually letting God work--knowing He can is just the first step. Peace to you, my friend.

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  4. Sharita KnoblochFebruary 20, 2014

    Oh Joan... Sorry for your struggles and praying for you today! I am so thankful we worship such an awesome God-- and a God of HOPE!!!


    Blessings to you, girl. God's got this... and after this storm, there is sure to be something beautiful waiting for you there on the beach.

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  5. Oh yes...I'm getting out of His way and welcoming His hand in my life and on this situation! I trust Him and know that He is doing something good through this. One thing that I can see already is my increased my dependence on Him! I know I couldn't do this without Him. What a blessing our God is!

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  6. It is such a comfort to remember that our God is always working and always doing something beautiful! I know that as I depend on Him, He will guide me to safe shores full of His beauty and blessings! I'm so thankful for our God of hope!


    Blessings, Joan

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  7. ((((Joan)))) you are such a blessing in my life. I pray that one day you run out to your tide pool at the dawn and see your daughter swimming there. Love you and will keep you in prayer. <3

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  8. Thanks, Shelly! I'm so glad to have met you, too! Isn't it wonderful when God brings people together for just the right time? Blessings to you! Have a great weekend!

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  9. I love that . . . "just keep going." Great advice. Hugs and prayers dear friend.

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  10. Yes, it also reminds me of the "little train that could"! I'll just keep chugging along! Have a blessed weekend, Deb!

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  11. remembering David's example... he encouraged himself in the Lord.
    may it be so for you this day.
    ADONAI is never NOT at work - that's how we can live at REST =)

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  12. I trust that the Lord is doing something through this situation and I know that it is for the good of His plan! I'm resting in Him today! Blessings to you!

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  13. LOVE this: Each day is a new day and on the tide comes new hope."

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  14. Thanks, Yvonne! His mercies are new each day! That in itself is reason for hope!


    Blessings, Joan

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  15. Oh, bless your dear heart! I am SO sorry to read of your heartache and grief. My heart goes out to you so much during this sad season of life. Surely, God is able to do all things and to carry us, no matter how heavy our load becomes. I am so thankful that Jesus was a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and He is our High Priest and can be touched with every pain of our hearts. I will be praying for you, dear friend. You are such a blessing to me, and I so enjoy your weekly link-up. Be encouraged, and know that God will see you through...even this. It didn't come to stay, it came to pass. Love, Cheryl

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  16. Dear, Joan, I'm so sorry for your pain. But thankful to know that you are leaning on God and growing closer to Him during this time. I'm glad to have found you - through Shelly's linky - and look forward to participating in your Monday link up soon!

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  17. Thank you, Cheryl! God gives us such hope every day! I know that when I follow Him and rely on Him for my strength and joy, I will be blessed.


    Blessings, Joan

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  18. Hi June! I'm glad you stopped by today from Shelly's blog! She is such an encouragement, isn't she? I know that God never wastes a hurt. I am trusting Him and welcoming His hand on my life. Blessings, Joan

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  19. Mary GemmillFebruary 22, 2014

    Thinking of you as you learn to live without your daughter- it's not easy, that's for sure! My daughter is going even further from me- she and hubbie have accepted a call to mission in Thailand- so she will be even further away- but I am blessed in that at least we can communicate civilly by email even though I am banned from facebook [ lol]. Joan- I feel the Lord will continue to heal your heart as you seek to encourage others through your blog. I am reminded of he that casts his bread upon the water shall have it returned 7f-old. [ not sure where that is} but I feel the Lord is pouring out blessings and honouring you for continuing on serving Hiom so faithfully even though you have this pain in your heart.
    Love,
    Mary New Zealand.

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  20. Thank you so much, Mary! As I go through each day, I pray that all that I do and say honors Him. I am trusting Him for His plan and know that He is doing something good through this!


    Blessings & love, Joan

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  21. Hi, Joan. Just catching up with your posts. Oh, I'm right with you,
    girl! We've talked before about our kids and how difficult it is when
    they stray. We heard an interesting sermon in church today. Pastor spoke
    about how we, as Christ followers, need to seek our "calling" of what
    He has for us to do. To discover that, he had three questions we need to
    ask ourselves. 1) What breaks your heart. 2) What makes you angry? and
    3) What can't you not do? My first thought was my son and praying for
    him to turn his life over the the Lord.It breaks my heart to not have
    that believer's connection with him, it makes me angry that Satan has
    such a hold on him, and I can't ever give up on him!! I also want to
    send you a letter/prayer that our pastor wrote and read to the
    congregation. It should be posted on our church website by tomorrow. I
    will forward it to you as soon as it is available. (Basically, he said,
    "Often in our lives, the greatest blessings come in the form of a
    burden." It really touched my heart! Praying for you to keep keeping on
    and not to be discouraged!!
    Love, Ann

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  22. Thanks for this, Ann! I am trusting that God will use this for something good. Whether He is doing a work in me or in our daughter or both, I know that whatever it is, it will be for His glory. I love the verse that tells us that we go through trials so we can comfort others in theirs...because we truly understand. I think that is so true. Maybe that is what God is doing now.


    I'm looking forward tot he letter you're sending!


    Love, Joan

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  23. Elizabeth DayFebruary 26, 2014

    Joan, after reading your article yesterday, I wanted to know more about you and read what the Lord is doing today in your life. I found your blog this morning. Why am I amazed at how God works? I don't know, but I constantly stand in amazement at His wondrous dealings in my life. I to am dealing with rejection from my daughter. My heart is broken and I don't know how to navigate these uncharted waters right now. But, daily my God is teaching me to wait, to allow Him to lead me step by step. That is so difficult for me because I want to jump out and get back in control and solve this whole thing right now. But today He showed me in His Word that the secret things belong to Him and future things are secret things, and I am totally incapable of figuring it all out.

    Please know I understand your pain and unfortunately there is nothing that prepared us for it. However, whether or not we are reconciled with our precious daughters, we are being touched daily by an All-seeing God who loves us and them beyond our comprehension. I still trust Him to bring us back together in His time.

    I shall continue to read and draw strength from your journey.

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  24. Thank you so much for taking the time to explore my blog a bit and then to leave your comment! I love it when God brings us to just what we need to hear. When I first shared about my daughter a few weeks ago, I was amazed at the encouragement God gave me through the people who came here to this space. Many of them also share our grief in their own lives and gave me hope. I love your positive attitude about knowing that God is still at work even while we wait.


    I'm going through a Bible study that focused on that point just yesterday! The author of the Bible study quoted E. Stanley Jones with the following and it really hit home with me. In fact, it encouraged me so much that I posted in on my blog's FB page! Here it is: "Rows of beautiful trees were laid low in a storm. Reason? the water was too near the surface; so the trees did not have to put their roots deep down to find water; hence the tragedy. God may deny us a surface answer in order to get us to put our roots deeper into eternal reality, so that in some future storm we shall be unmoved." E. Stanley Jones (Abundant Living)


    Right now, I know that in this time of waiting, He is still at work. He is growing and shaping me to handle the things that will be on my path in the future. He is working in the secret places that I cannot see, but have faith in.


    I'm trusting Him!


    Blessings, Joan

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