Saturday, November 13, 2010

Hope in the face of loss

In September, 2001, Christian songwriter/singer, Tammy Trent and her husband, Trent Lenderlink, headed to Jamaica on a mission trip. On their only day off, 9/10, Trent, an experienced diver decided to free-dive in the idyllic waters of the Caribbean and waved to Tammy, as was their tradition, before his dissent. He never resurfaced. Tragically, his body was found the next day, 9/11/01 and Tammy faced an unthinkable loss alone in a foreign country for no family was able to get to her because all airplanes had been grounded due to the national crisis of 9/11/2001.

Loss, unimaginable loss.

Tammy writes in Beyond the Sorrow: There's Hope in the Promises of God, "When I first lost my husband, it seemed impossible to even breath. Shock, then sadness, and sometimes fear, literally took my breath away."

Loss, paralyzing loss.

Parents who love an adult child who is making choices, unthinkable, unimaginable choices due to drug/alcohol addictions, mental health disorders, or distorted entitlement beliefs, we can identify with shock, sadness, and fear that takes our breath away. We hold our breath hoping against hope that something we do will make the crisis stop. As time passes, we continue to make decisions from that place of weakness, desperate hopelessness and helplessness. Is it really possible to find hope in the face of loss?

Tammy Trent says YES!

In her new release, Learning To Breathe Again: Choosing Life and Finding Hope After a Shattering Loss, Tammy writes:

"I didn't know which way to turn [...] But now I believe Trent's destiny helped change my heart and show me that I have it within me to give God something greater. That's what I'm doing now, rejuvenating my music and sharing my testimony with audiences around the country, including the awesome Women of Faith conferences. I want to pay tribute to Trent and also show others, by his example, how they can become more thoughtful husbands and wives, more fun to be with, and how they can bring devotion to God into everything they do. I want them to understand, as I do now, that even when God doesn't appear to be using us for his purposes, when we make ourselves available to him, he's using us!"

As I interviewed Tammy Trent this week on the Setting Boundaries and Finding SANITY Blog Talk Radio Program, I was pinch-me-I'm-so-blessed as I listened to Tammy inspire! Oh--I have read Tammy's books and many of her songs are marked "played most often" on my iPod; I know Tammy Trent's ministry message. But as Tammy spoke to us during this power-packed 15 minute interview, another dimension was added to my 'research' for this interview: Tammy Trent is personally walking in HOPE and JOY in the face of loss. She is real! HOPE IS POSSIBLE!

Please take time to click on the link above and listen to Tammy's interview. You will be blessed. Tammy Trent SHINES as she shares her life with the world. She has offered her deepest pain to God, she has surrendered impossible circumstances to our God of Impossibles!

Tammy Trent encourages us, no inspires us, as we continue to wait for the day that God will bring our prodigals home, that we can walk in hope and joy. Tammy's willingness to share her journey from loss to hope brings 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 to life:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

Doesn't that just make you want to BREATHE again?

5 comments:

gemini said...

We can never understand things in this world...but someday...He will all make ti plain to us....Your post has touched me so much and sharing this to others. God bless those who are hurting and let's keep on praying and blessing others on our way. " We only pass this way but once...any kindness we can do, let us do it now!

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