Blue Heart: God’S Assurance During Grief

By Cherie Metcalf

A blue heart is one that bleeds from withina broken, bruised, bleeding heart. Grief is painful, excruciatingly painful. This book divulges a personal account of a loving couple joined together in true marriage, separated by physical death, the pain of that separation, and the miracle of Gods unfailing compassion to a blue heart. Despite the knowledge of Gods Word, Cherie agonized over unanswered questions after the passing of her husband. As the Lord promised, He did not leave her. Through her struggle with grief, God, in His tender, loving kindness, revealed Himself to her to sustain and encourage her faith. This book reveals Gods assurance during grief.

Uplifting and faith-filled. Cherie Metcalf stylistically narrates a marriage of hope, struggles, yet an undying connection to spouse, family, and God.
Dr. M.A. Gallo Sunyoger, author of
Life Lessons: A Connection of Souls throughout Lifes Journey

The faith, hope, and love that Mrs. Metcalf has always embodied in the classroom and in her life emanate throughout her writing. This book is genuine and inspiring, as is the woman who authored it.
Megan Keenan, former student

Cherie Metcalf distills the bitter poison of grief and, without taking away its bitterness, turns the poison to medicine. Her rooted faith is manifest in every word she writes.
John R. Holmes, PhD

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490822808

Cherie Metcalf

Cherie Metcalf is the widow of Dave, her husband of thirty-three years. She is a mother and grandmother. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in education, and National Board Certification. She is a published editor, illustrator, teacher, and born-again Christian.

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TESTIMONIALS

If there were a prototype for Dave Metcalf in Scripture, it would be Nathanael, one of the chosen twelve. John 1:45–49 (NIV) outlines the Master’s call on Nathanael’s life, and on Dave’s life.

Philip found Nathanael and told him, We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked.

My first awareness of David Metcalf was that he dated a young lady in my Youth for Christ choral group who professed a personal walk with Jesus. At that time, Dave was not at all interested in things of the Lord, even though Cherie witnessed to him continually. His attitude was, Can anything good come from church?

Come and see, said Philip.

Shortly after their marriage, Dave finally accepted Cherie’s invitation to come and see. He attended a dramatic presentation of the gospel—and saw! More importantly, Jesus saw Dave. I was not there to witness this conversion, but I know the story as if I were.

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit. How do you know me? Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.

Before Dave decided to follow Jesus in 1978, Jesus saw Dave far off. Before Cherie invited him to meet the Master, Jesus saw Dave far off. Like Nathanael, Dave would not follow the Lord from false pretense or with a deceitful motive. Unlike many suitors, he did not attend church and pretend to love Jesus for his sweetheart’s sake. He did not fabricate a relationship just to impress Cherie or her family and friends. He purposed to follow the truth.

Then Nathanael declared, Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.

From the time Dave first believed in the Savior, he lived Nathanael’s declaration: Jesus is the Son of God, the King. In 1979, my husband, Chuck, became the pastor of the church in which Dave had been saved the previous year. We had the beautiful privilege of watching him grow into a man of determined faith. As a member of a group that presented many musical dramas, Dave sang many songs of faith, but his solo from The Witness still rings in my ears: You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I know You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. You are the Christ; You are my Lord. There has never been any doubt in my mind that Dave was not singing the apostle Peter’s testimony but his own.

Down through the thirty-two years that we shared a friendship, I grew to admire this man of quiet, determined faith in whom there was nothing false. When Dave had insight, he wouldn’t just speak, he would declare—not in a dogmatic, offensive manner, but with the confidence of one who knew and was known by the Lord.

I miss you, my dear friend and brother in Christ. Enjoy heaven, and look for me.

Dr. June Leasure, PhD, NCSP

*****

I have known Cherie since 1970, when she was a teenager. Her mom was choir director of the church I attended, and we became friends. Cherie would often babysit my children, so it was quite natural for me to pray earnestly for the guy she wanted to marry, especially since he was not familiar with the evangelical church setting. I was genuinely concerned about the choice she had made, so I continued to pray all the more for their marriage, believing in the redeeming power of God’s love.

I viewed Dave as a strong, steady, somewhat quiet man, a man of determination and simple truth. When he made the decision to pursue God’s heart, these qualities were strengthened through years of surrender and commitment in his role as husband, father, and friend, and he became an example of the Savior to his family, neighbors, and coworkers.

God’s will and plan for David Metcalf’s life included what all of us who knew and loved him would call an untimely death. But knowing Dave, his testimony would be that in living and dying, God must receive the glory; therefore, his witness still speaks through the strength and steadfastness found in his wife and children, who know the simple truth of God’s amazing grace and boundless love.

Roberta L. Young

author/poet, God’s Poiema

*****

To say that Dave Metcalf was a hard worker would be an understatement. Dave was a reliable, timely, ethical, professional worker in everything he did in his lifetime. His work as a pipefitter and welder was exemplary on a daily basis. He thought out the job, got the tools and materials ready, and completed the work assigned to him. He always finished the task proficiently. Dave loved working around his church and local Christian school too. Whether it was a small clean-up detail or a large job requiring many man hours, he was willing to attack the task. Dave’s work around his home and with his family was the same. He gathered the resources and personnel. He and his wife, Cherie, would make a plan and not relinquish it until they had seen it through.

As good a worker that Dave was, he came to know one thing for sure: all his construction work and work on homes and all the material possessions that he worked for would not benefit him when he came face-to-face with God! There was absolutely no work on this earth that could save his soul! Dave knew this well.

Dave’s life and work ethic were an unashamed testimony. Hard work and good deeds are great; the world certainly needs more of them. However, Dave knew that salvation through works is a denial of God’s grace.

Fortunately, Dave came to know Jesus as his personal Savior, and he knew that only through God’s grace, not works, would he have an eternal home in heaven!

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8–9).

Carl Cook

Double organ and tissue recipient

Blue Heart

God’s Assurance During Grief

Cherie Metcalf

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Copyright © 2014 Cherie Metcalf.

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Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by