I recently had the blessing of talking with a pareavor on the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast, who is a strong encourager of prayer, even after the death of her daughter. I know praying can be extremely difficult for many of us now, wondering why we should bother praying, if God is just going to do what He wants to do anyway.
After experiencing profound loss through miscarriage and then saying goodbye to her beloved daughter, Taylor, who lived for 22 years with a rare metabolic disorder, Rachel “Wojo” Wojnarowski found prayer to be her lifeline in life’s darkest valleys.
Taylor was a bubbly little girl, full of laughter and life. At age three, Rachel began to notice that she was losing skills she once had, starting with something as simple as putting on her socks. Eventually, Taylor was diagnosed with a rare, terminal disorder that causes one’s mind to forget how to function. Over time, Taylor gradually lost literally every ability, including speech, movement, communication and swallowing, and passed away at home in January, 2019.
Finding God in Grief
Rachel shared how those final days were filled with both deep anger and incredible intimacy with God. In her grief, she cried out, “God, you don’t know what it’s like to watch your child suffer and die.” Immediately, she felt His gentle reply: “Yes, I do. I watched my Son suffer and die for you.” That moment transformed John 3:16 from a familiar verse into a life-altering reality. God’s love was not distant. He was holding Taylor in heaven and Rachel on earth at the same time.
One of the most powerful truths Rachel has learned, through her prayers and talks with God, is that healing doesn’t mean forgetting. Healing doesn’t erase our child from our hearts. In fact, grief is really just love with no place to go.
Love That Remains
For most of us, it takes a while to realize that it is not the pain that keeps us attached to our children, but it is our love for them. This love not only remains, but for many of us, it continues to grow stronger and sharing that love with others becomes part of the healing journey.
Rachel also shared with us how God spoke to her through Isaiah 58, where He shows that healing comes quickly when we pour ourselves into helping others.
Healing isn’t about waiting until we have it all together. It’s about choosing, in small ways, to love, to serve, to give, even doing something as simple as offering a quarter to a little girl who really wanted it for a gumball machine when her parents didn’t have a quarter on them.
Hope Worth Holding
Rachel’s encouragement is simple but life-giving: even if you don’t feel God, He is with you. Pain cannot grip you tighter than His grace. And joy and sorrow can co-exist in our lives when we let His Spirit breathe peace into our pain.
As Rachel says, “God is big enough to hold my daughter in heaven and me here on earth at the very same time.” And that truth, dear friend, is hope worth holding on to.
NOTE: This was partially taken from the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast episode 312. Click here to listen to the full discussion, or look for the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast on your favorite listening app.
Check out Rachel Wojo’s book, Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life’s Darkest Moments.
Note: this is an affiliate link, which means a small purchase price of this book will be donated to the ministry of Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope).
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AWARD WINNING AUTHOR, LAURA DIEHL, has written several impactful books that provide comfort and guidance to those navigating the painful journey of child loss, after the death of her own daughter in 2011. Her most acclaimed work, When Tragedy Strikes: Rebuilding Your Life with Hope and Healing After the Death of Your Child, has received multiple accolades, including the 2017 Gold Medal Centauri Christian Book Award for Non-Fiction and a Silver Medal in the 2018 Illumination Awards. Several of her other books have won awards as well.
In addition to her writing, Laura is an ordained minister and has an extensive background in international children’s ministry. She is a sought-after speaker and singer at grief conferences and churches, known for her compassionate approach and deep understanding of the grieving process, especially the unique loss of a child. Through her weekly award-winning podcast, her writings, and other resources provided by GPS Hope, Laura and her husband, Dave, continue to provide hope and healing to thousands of parents worldwide, helping them find light in the midst of profound loss and darkness.
For more information about Laura’s award-winning books go to gpshope.org/books.
To find out more about Laura Diehl and the ministry of Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope) visit gpshope.org.
The link to Hope for the Future is an affiliate link, allowing part of the purchase price to go to GPS Hope.
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