Tracy's story began with loss. Her husband had just left his job of 15 years, their infant son had recently died, and their family had lost all sense of stability. Returning home to California brought comfort, but still no financial security. Then God brought this family to a loving church fellowship to support them through their fiery time of adversity. As they surrendered to him, God gave them clear direction and restored their peace.
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Tracy's Loss and Restoration
My story begins with loss. My husband had just left an extremely stressful position at an automotive company in Michigan after 15 years of dedicated service. We had also just lost our baby David after having him for only 37 blessed days. Losing him marks the beginning of our testimony.Alas, all I wanted to do was go home to California—my home! My family was there. My Mom was there. So we packed up our five children and went home. Things were looking up.
We went to work in my uncle's business in an effort to help him revive it, but it was bringing in too little to support our family. We had moved into the little one bedroom house behind my mom's home, because we couldn't afford a place of our own. And that is where we stayed. We prayed, though, and thanked God for this house that my mom and step-dad had rented to us for a fair price. They added on a room and a bath, and for the next six months we had two bedrooms!
I prayed for the restoration of our lives, and for enough money to get us into a house with a good school district. Our current little home was situated on a very busy street, so I couldn't let my children play out front. I had to homeschool them at four different grade levels, something I was unprepared to do while still grieving the loss of my son.
Finding a Home
Miracle of miracles, my brother invited us to a Harvest Festival that was being held at a church near his. Wow! I fell in love with this church. I felt at home.The next weekend our little family showed up to check out the Sunday service. My husband felt the same excitement for this church. God was truly alive there! We also fell in love with the pastor! The couple sitting behind us was so nice, and the wife even invited me to Tuesday morning Bible study. So I went.
The date of my second Bible study class would have been my son's first birthday. I had dropped the kids off in their classrooms and then it hit me as I walked into the sanctuary. I turned and ran to the restroom—I couldn't stop crying.
Later I learned that the previous head of grief counseling at the church also sat at my Bible study table, and we ended up talking together in the prayer room.
Finding Support
I love the women in my church. I have never felt so supported in my life. Through all we've been through, this glorious church family that I've grown to love has never abandoned us. They are a shining example of Christianity and of God's love being poured out through the fire of change.Change doesn't feel so good when you are going through it, but God uses it to burn off the impurities in your life. What you are left with is, well, someone God can more fully use. God softens us for a purpose, doesn't he? With no personal knowledge of the painful heartaches of life, how could we reach out to others who are hurting?
Our business failed to get off the ground. In the meantime, we had remained friends with the couple we'd met that first time in church. When they found out my husband was searching for a job, they offered him one. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. But that was okay. It was unfamiliar work and my husband knew he was inexperienced.
Finding the Bottom
The hard part was feeling the world drop out from under us. Can you imagine? I was watching the man I adored, the man who carried the stress of supporting his family, fall to his knees. We prayed, "God, where are you?"Continue Reading Page 2 of Tracy's Loss and Restoration
