Where Joy and Sorrow Meet: God's Comfort in Times of Trial

By John Hanley and Dana Hanley

"This condensed version of a larger work wastes no space and cuts straight to the heart of the matter. It packs a visceral gut punch that brings you into the depths of this families’ emotions as they called on God over the loss of their son... This book created a response in me that the others lacked, and the answers offered are firm and to the point." - Matthew Nietfeld

“Gut-wrenchingly raw and emotional, yet poingnot, and positive. A must read for any grieving parent.” ~ Luke Van Stryp

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Hanley
• Release date: Jun 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310013300

Book preview

Where Joy and Sorrow Meet:

God's Comfort in Times of Trial

John and Dana Hanley

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

Where Joy and Sorrow Meet: God’s Comfort in Times of Trial.

By John and Dana Hanley

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2016-present

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 9781310013300

License Notes

Thank you for downloading this eBook. This may be reproduced and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form, and is distributed free of charge regardless of format: digital or otherwise.

Cover art: Plutchik Emotional Wheel, Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Contents

CAN’T BE IGNORED

THE NIGHT CAME CRASHING DOWN

PRAISE YOU IN THIS STORM

DEATH IS NOT THE END!

A MOTHER’S PETITION

NO DOUBT

HEAVEN’S SEAL

ECHO ZOE

TRUTH AND TRAUMA CO-EXIST

POSTSCRIPT

REVIEWS

AUTHOR CONTACT

REFERENCES

CAN’T BE IGNORED

"As great a discovery as chloroform was which anesthetized the pain in the physical bodies of people nothing is so great in my discovery as the love of Christ as it anesthetized the pain in my heart when I lost my own child." ~ Sir James Young Simpson[1]

[John] Life, undoubtedly, consists of physical suffering. From the daily toil for food (Genesis 3:17-19) to the process of childbirth (Genesis 3:16), bodily pain emphasizes the frailty of our earthly frame (Psalm 103:13-16). Yet, there’s another dimension to humanity as seen in the emotion known as sorrow.

Sorrow, described as sadness towards some wrong done or some disappointment, this emotional anguish we experience shows that human beings possess an invisible quality, a soul (Genesis 2:7).

Therefore, physical and emotional pain, as C.S. Lewis enlightens, is a warning sign for the soul,[2]

We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain (Job 14:1); it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.[3]

Pain is absolute.[4] Rouse, it does![5]

THE NIGHT CAME CRASHING DOWN

[Dana] It was a horrible, horrible accident and I’m still stuck replaying all the decisions I could have made differently that might have left my energetic little boy here in my arms, dispersing my dishes about the house, sneaking fruit out of the refrigerator, and eating the tips off markers any chance he got.

And it is only beginning to sink in how much worse it could have been.

Friday was such a windy day with 45 mile (ca. 72.42km) an hour wind gusts. We had an extension on our chimney with a draft-inducing cap on