He Didn’t Leave You

He Didn’t Leave You

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:8

Frank and Ginny were truly soul mates. People often remarked that they seemed like a match made in heaven—even after fifty years of marriage. Everything was going well—until Frank passed away.

“He left me. He left me. I can’t believe he left me,” Ginny said, sobbing. She was brokenhearted beyond consolation. Her better half was gone, and she felt as if she couldn’t go on without him.

“Mom just walks around the house looking for Dad,” her two daughters told me. “We know that we’ll all see him again one day. But the way Mom is acting, we’re afraid she’s going to see him soon, and we don’t want her to go before her time.”

Ginny was in great health for her age, but the past month had taken its toll. She had lost weight and wasn’t eating enough to sustain herself.

“Ginny, you’re dehydrated and malnourished,” I said. “Your family tells me you aren’t eating or sleeping.”

“He left me. He left me. I don’t want to continue.”

“Look, Ginny, I understand the pain you’re feeling. But Frank is with Jesus. He hasn’t left you. He’s helping to prepare a place for you.”

Ginny obviously needed some rest. I admitted her into a local rehab unit, and we surrounded her with encouragement, love, and comfort. The staff prayed for her and made sure that she ate and slept. Her children visited every day, and I stopped by to pray with her and make sure she was thriving.

Three weeks later—to the day—she got up, packed her bags, and went home. She had stopped crying and started living. We could all see that her attitude and emotions had been renewed.

“You know, Dr. Anderson, each day I have here on earth is a blessing,” she said. “I also think that each day is granted to us for a reason. I know now that each day brings me closer to Frank and to Jesus.”

For Ginny, the turning point seemed to come from realizing that Frank hadn’t left her; he’d only gone on before her. That realization restored her will to live.

TODAY’S RX

Whatever your current trials, know that God is close to the brokenhearted. Take one step at a time with him.

God, thank you for wrapping your arms around me when I’m lonely and grieving. Help me to sense your presence each day on earth, and continue to plant the hope of heaven deeper in my heart.