You’Re My Best Hope: A Young Woman’S Journey of Grief That Leads Her into the Arms of God

By Ellen M. Chacon

When a young woman is faced with family illness and loss, she realizes she must focus on her relationship with God for survival. Though an emotional roller coaster filled with grief and miracles, this journey is inspirational and encouraging for any reader.

Ellen Chacon faces losing her best friend (her mother) at a young age. She also struggles with her brothers illness, diagnosed only two years earlier, and fears for his future. With miraculous stories only God could provide, she comes to learn God is ultimately in control of her life. With the love of her husband and three active boys, she presses on and finds peace in letting go, ultimately to tackle head-on another illness that completely changes her life. Youre My Best Hope is a must-read and will inspire any reader to be a better daughter, sister, mother, or father.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 30, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503573802

Ellen M. Chacon

Ellen Chacon is a wife and mother of three active boys in South Florida. A New York native, she comes from an artistic family and has always found comfort in writing. Early in life, writing in her journal was a way to express her emotions. Through writing this book, Ellen has found herself closer to God and wants to inspire others to know God and trust him. With support from her family, she continues to write.

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Copyright © 2015 by Ellen M. Chacón.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Rev. date: 06/30/2015

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1:  Florida

Chapter 2:  An Unwanted Situation

Chapter 3:  Flowing through Me

Chapter 4:  The Love of My Life

Chapter 5:  Ohhh, Brother!

Chapter 6:  Beautiful Sunday

Chapter 7:  I Can’t Breathe

Chapter 8:  Choices

Chapter 9:  A Sweet Surprise

Chapter 10:  The Storm

Chapter 11:  I Hate the Seventeenth Floor

Chapter 12:  Good Shepherd

Chapter 13:  Angel Margaret

Chapter 14:  Coming Home

Chapter 15:  Summer in New York

Chapter 16:  Last Visit

Chapter 17:  Bittersweet

Note From The Author

Suggested Reading

My Photo Album

For my mother,

Helena Keeley,

1933–1995

She led me, and she loved me, then God called her home.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

F IRST AND FOREMOST, I want to thank God for endowing me the strength and courage to write this book and share my experiences. All the glory goes to God.

To my husband, Rudy, thank you for being the man you are. Through all my struggles, you have been my rock. You are the greatest gift from God.

To my children, Rudy, Jacob, and Sebastian, you are my greatest inspiration in life. Mommy wants you to grow up and trust God for everything. Thank you for putting up with me and being patient throughout writing this book. Thank you for your support and love during the tough moments. Your compassion has given me hope, and your smiles warm my heart. I love you always!

To the ChacÓn family, I love each and every one of you. You are a crazy bunch of Cubans! Your support and teachings have helped me learn to be a better person. Knowing you are always there for me has made a big difference in my healing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. May God continue to bless you.

To my mother, Helen, thank you for being a wonderful role model in my life. I truly believe you were an angel on earth. You taught me the qualities one needs to honor God. Thank you for being who you were and loving me the way you did. Yo te quiero mucho. Mucho, mucho, mucho!

And for my dad, thank you for being a great father over the years. You have taught me so much, and I love you very much. Your support over the trials of life has been amazing. You are a very strong man, and I am stronger because of you. I am so glad God chose me to be your daughter. May God bless you.

Kevin, thank you for being my loving big brother. I hope this story helps others who are going through similar struggles. You are and will always be a great inspiration for my life. Your compassion and loving heart are the best qualities to have. I love you so much.

Craig, thank you for being a great big brother as well. You are the reason I wrote this book. Your story of determination is incredible. You inspire me every day, and I couldn’t love you more. I am a better person because of you. I am so thankful for our relationship. I hope this book encourages others to be as courageous as you through their own illness. Your strength makes me stronger. God bless you always!

Keeley family, I can’t thank you enough for all your hard work. You and your family are a blessing! May God continue to bring you strength and courage. I love you all and am so grateful for everything.

My friends, thank you for being there through it all. Distance is no match for great lifelong friendships. Thanks for making me laugh through the tough times. I love you all.

Steven Vaughn, my editor, thank you for helping me make You’re My Best Hope readable. Thank you for your talents. I am glad God brought us together.

INTRODUCTION

G OD IS UNDENIABLY most important in my life. He comes before my husband, my children, and all else. However, it wasn’t always that way. When I was a young woman, God was not first on my list. Through the years, my love for God has grown into something beautiful. It’s a relationship like no other, and I want to share my experiences with you and show you how I came to trust and love God the way I do.

Have you ever suffered so much you found yourself crying out to God Where are you? or Can you hear me? Are you investing in yourself and your salvation every day? Are you happy with the way you are living your life, or are you missing something? These are questions I once asked myself daily, but through some very difficult life lessons, I have found the answers. I hope to help you find your answers.

Everyone’s life is a journey that God has planned out for them. Throughout the Bible, we learn God has a purpose and a plan for his creations. On our journey through this life, we have decisions to make. Those crucial decision-making moments determine and lead us to where we are today. For some people, they understand the power of God and live without questioning God’s motives. These individuals invite others to experience God’s power and peace. Excited in what God is doing in them, they want to share these joyful experiences with their community and friends. Others need more guidance and practice in their conviction. They have not felt or been taught the deep amount of love God has for them. Nobody is perfect, but God should be your guide through life’s journey. Whether you are going through marital issues, financial issues, or going through a terrible illness, God knows your needs and he does hear your prayers. God has exhilarated me and gave me the strength to write this book and hopefully help others come to know and love him.

Although God has poured many blessings upon me, I have also witnessed my loved ones’ anguish and have felt terrible loss. Without God in my life, I would have never made it through. I don’t know if I would be strong enough to handle my life without his guidance. Though I didn’t always have the passion I have now, through my life lessons, God’s love became very clear to me. I worked hard and began to put my trust in God. For the past twenty years or so, I have been a work in progress.

Today, God’s love covers me, and I try not to fear anything because God is with me, inside of me, and all around me. Life is like a rocky road sometimes, but with him, I find strength and hope. Something that has helped me find God is my church in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, called Christ Fellowship. Christ Fellowship is devoted to teaching our community to work through God and have faith every day.

Pastors Tom and Todd Mullins make going to church fun and exciting. Their messages speak directly to you, and they make God totally relatable. I am so grateful for them and all the hard work they are doing for our community. Furthermore, they are making a great impact on people suffering throughout the world.

John Maxwell, a leadership speaker who often speaks at Christ Fellowship, has also given me insights on being a leader and has shared with me the tools to help my community make it through sorrow and despair. He has taught me that people who have suffered loss can relate to one another’s suffering. He makes learning and growing as a Christian exciting. His book, The Maxwell Daily Reader, helps me start my day with the right attitude.

I have attended