Burnt Barley. . .Spared Blessing

By Lillie Stringer

In this thoughtful book, Lillie Stringer describes the poignant agony she felt after the death of her son. During this time, God gave her a personal message that was the key to unlocking a ministry to other grieving parents. I burnt the barley, but I spared the blessing was a cloudy message that was clearly revealed in Gods time. Yes, the barley was burnedher son was gone, but God promised a blessing in spite of this tragedy. Lillies is a message of inspiration and compassion for those who mourn. The emotional scars that this kind of experience can impose upon parents who bury their children can subject them to empty, futile attempts to seek solace in the wrong places. Her desire is that God will diminish sorrows and fully equip those who mourn for recovery by giving a new and living hope. This hope has already been signed, sealed, and delivered by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This book contains a collection of letters and personal insights in which Lillie shares divine comfort with those who mourn.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 28, 2010
• ISBN: 9781453527887

Book preview

Contents

THANK YOU

ABOUT THE AUTHOR . . . .

FOREWORD

~ ~ ~ Chapter One ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~Chapter Two ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ Chapter Three ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ Chapter Four ~ ~ ~

~~ ~ Chapter Five ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ Chapter Six ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ Chapter Seven ~ ~ ~

~~~~ Chapter Eight ~~~~

~~~~ Chapter Nine ~~~~

~~~~ Chapter Ten ~~~~

DEDICATION

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This book is dedicated to:

My husband, Robert who is my soul mate, life partner, confidant, companion in joy and in sorrow, closest friend, and partner in ministry.

My children: Lisa, Lorna, Mark, Damian, and Kimberly who have always been there for Mom with their many acts of loving-kindness and thoughtfulness . . . fresh flowers on those special days, cards, notes and phone calls throughout the years. Thank you for your compassionate hearts for me. Thank you for comforting me when you needed to be comforted.

THANK YOU

To

My family for your part in making this a family project. To my husband, Robert for your love and prayers as you watched me produce a work of grace; to Lisa who gave me the courage to step from behind the mask and share my story; to Lorna for your assistance, compassion and encouragement; to Damian and Kim for your technical support, and to Mark for your artistic ability to create and design the cover for me.

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Delitha Johnson, my sister, close friend, and prayer partner who was always there for me and prayed me through those difficult hours of bereavement.

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Cheryl McClellan, who encouraged me to develop what she thought she saw as the potential writer in me and prompted me to write this book.

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Jody Eldred, a friend of our son, an angel of mercy to our family sent from the heart of God, and a ministry partner in an effort to spread a word of hope to parents who lose children.

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Beatrice Jordan, my faithful friend and prayer partner, and proofreader of this project.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR . . . .

Lillie Stringer is a pastor’s wife and mother of six children (one now deceased). Lillie grew up in Tucson, Arizona and lived in Los Angeles, California before moving to Louisiana. She has been married for more than fifty years to Robert, who is the Senior Pastor of New Covenant Church of God in Shreveport. Lillie currently serves the local church as the Christian Education Coordinator and Technical Director of the church website where she writes the weekly meditation.

Lillie served as a national leader with Women of the Church of God for many years. She served two years as National Vice President, eight years as National Parliamentarian, and two years as Regional Coordinator. She was the Louisiana State President of Women of the Church of God for ten years.

Lillie has a heart for women who are hurting and for parents who are grieving the death of a child. She has tried to make a difference in the lives of the people that she has been able to minister to. It is her belief that God won’t lead you where grace can’t keep you.

Her hobbies are reading, writing, crocheting, sewing, quilting, word games, board games, crossword and jigsaw puzzles.

She loves reading the Bible and has read it through several times. Her preference is the King James Version from which Scriptural references and quotations have been taken, unless otherwise indicated.

FOREWORD

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Burnt Barley . . . Spared Blessing is the personal journey of this mother who found healing from the grief associated with the death of our son. In the healing process I found God’s Word personal and comforting where it said to me,  . . . My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness . . . If God’s grace was sufficient for the Apostle Paul in his suffering, as described in First Corinthians 1:9, then it stood to reason that it was sufficient for me in my sorrow. If I would embrace that grace, then God’s strength would be perfected in my suffering and I would be strong enough to endure it. However, experience has taught me a different aspect of grace. Not only was grace undeserved, but I found an unlimited supply that it was available for even me.

As a Pastoral family we often encounter such issues as devastating illnesses and death with our parishioners. We have always comforted others, but now with the death of our son we needed to be comforted. It is quite common for us to point other people to the Scriptures for comfort for we believe that every word is God-breathed. Now we must apply those same principles regarding Scripture to our situation. We must find comfort in those same Scriptures for our own pain and suffering.

Nothing makes much sense in the beginning because your emotions run amuck. You try your best to maintain a sense of normalcy in an abnormal situation. Somehow you know that it is by the grace of God that you maintain your sanity. The tool that God uses most often to keep our feet on the ground is to show us someone else’s pain. As I began to hear of others whose pain and suffering was so much like my own, I somehow gained a new perspective. There were times of clear thinking and in those times I realized it was not all about me. I was not the only one hurting. Other people were grieving the loss of their children and they needed to know the grace of God that was giving me hope beyond my sorrow.

I began to reach out to these parents who lost children and ministered to them through personal letters such as the ones included within the pages of this book. Such grief is far too difficult to bear alone and I wanted