Faith and Grief

Holding Fast: Faith Triumphs in Tragedy by Elizabeth M Thompson

I just finished reading a terrific book, Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy. I reviewed the book as part of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger program. I posted my review on Amazon.com and wanted to share it with my Faith and Grief readers, too.

In Holding Fast, Karen James takes readers on an intimate and emotional journey of faith and grief. Karen's husband Kelly—an accomplished mountain climber—left for a weekend climb on Mount Hood in Oregon, with two friends in December of 2006. When they failed to meet their ride at the end of the trek, Karen was thrust into a very private nightmare and a very public spotlight.

America watched as she spent eight agonizing days waiting, hoping and praying for Kelly's safe return while the mountain experienced the worst snowstorms in a decade. On December 17^th, rescue workers retrieved Kelly's body from a snow cave near the summit. His companions were never found.

Karen's faith in Jesus Christ quickly became her rock, the only solid thing she could cling to that would keep her from succumbing to grief.

"When your world falls out from underneath you and you are on your knees, there is nowhere to look but up. Suddenly everything you have claimed about your God and your faith is put to the test. During such a time, you learn where you stand with your Maker, and the most significant question of your life slaps you right in the face: Do you really believe?"

The answer to this question for Karen James is, "Yes—I really believe."

Holding Fast is the story of a man who lived life to its fullest and loved God wholeheartedly. It is also the story of a woman who learned to live without the love of her life and discovered an even greater love.

I remember when the Mount Hood tragedy dominated the news nearly two years ago. I was one of the millions who prayed for the safe return of all three climbers. It was fascinating to relive those events through Karen James' perspective. She really takes the reader into the deep places of hope, grief, acceptance and perseverance. I appreciated her vulnerability. Holding Fast will encourage others who grieve to anchor their souls to Jesus Christ.

Gratefully,

Beth

    

90 Minutes in Heaven: A Comfort to Grievers

A Book Review by Elizabeth M. Thompson Don Piper's life ended abruptly and tragically when a semi crossed into the path of his car, smashing the small vehicle and severely damaging his body. Don's death was only temporary, though, as he was brought back to life through the prayers of a pastor who stopped at the crash site. 90 Minutes in Heaven chronicles Don's experiences during his death and his reluctant return to a productive life on earth. The testimony of his heavenly experience has become a blessing to many believers as they face their own death or the death of a loved one. It compels even skeptical readers to believe in the authenticity of Don's account. Don's story ministers to all believers who have had to learn how to serve God in spite of physical, emotional, mental or psychological disabilities. Since that day in 1989, Don has not experienced one pain-free day. He is an over-comer who challenges us to overcome the limitations in our own life by holding up a mirror before us, revealing our weaknesses for what they are: an opportunity for God's strength to be displayed. His faith and commitment to God are qualities we all hope to have as we face adversity. This captivating story is written with the warmth, intelligence and sensitivity only a seasoned author could achieve. Cecil Murphey has written, co-written, or ghost written over a hundred books Cec was the perfect choice to author this book because of his extensive writing background and expertise, but also because he has the ability to get inside the head and heart of the subject and he enables the reader to do the same.

Grief Support

"No man is an Island, entire of it self; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main."

---John Donne

"The one who suffers alone suffers most."

---Jewish proverb in Leo Rosten's Treasury of Jewish Quotations, 440

"If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!...Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:10, 12

All Grievers need Mehom Hanekhama, a safe place to grieve. Unfortunately, that may not be within a family, or within a circle of friends, or even within a church. Those who try to do their grief work in isolation are closeted in many ways. So we need places to take our questions, our wonderings, and to be surprised to discover that other grievers have, or have had, those same questions.

It may lead to great relief: "You mean I'm not going crazy?" one widow said with a sigh.

"No, Honey," one wise group member remarked. "You're just grieving."

By becoming involved in an organized network or support group of grievers, you'll discover:

• You are not alone.
• Some people can be trusted with your thoughts and wonderings.
• The experience of another griever may have some raw resources for your healing and grief journey.
• Honest expression of emotions is healthy.
• Mourning is not an illness or self-indulgence of a bad habit.
• The strategies that work for others.

"Every griever has three needs: (1) to find the words for the loss; (2) to say the words out loud; and (3) to know the words have been heard" says Victoria Alexander in Words I Nerver Thought to Speak.

Often, only the support group provides a safe enough place for the griever to accomplish all three needs. In such a setting, the griever rarely needs a translator. And it just may be that your words jump-start the words in the heart of another griever."

Harold Ivan Smith, from A Decembered Grief, 162-163