A Walk Along the Path

By Jessica Roby

A Walk Along The Path is the true story of a young mother widowed at the age of 25. Thrown into being a single, working parent of two children, with Gods grace, is able to pick up the pieces of loss and push forward. Just as life begins to return to normal her youngest child is diagnosed with a congenital heart disorder needing a transplant to survive. How will this young mother cope with the daunting challenges ahead?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512761382

Jessica Roby

Being a health/physical educator and diving coach, it is no surprise that “It’s All About Movement” is one of Jessica Roby’s favorite mantras. She inspires people on a daily basis whether it be in the classroom, on the pool deck or as a mother who has had to deal with a tragedy no parent should have to endure. Through all of it she remains resolute in living life to it’s fullest with gratitude and joy displaying strength and courage within every facet of her life. She understands that bumps in the road are inevitable but believes they can be meaningful even defining without breaking you. In the words of Frank A. Clark. “If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere." Through life's ups and downs she remains firm in the belief that God’s grace is profound and the power of prayer unimaginable. It is her wish to share her story not only to give God the glory but to convey this message; no matter the difficulty we are never alone.

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Copyright © 2016 Jessica Roby.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6139-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6140-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6138-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016917619

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/28/2016

Contents

Introduction

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Parting Thoughts

For Jonathan

With special thanks to

Holy Family Hospital


Lutheran General Hospital

Children’s Memorial Hospital

Glenbrook North High School District 225

Christ Church of Oak Brook

Christian Heritage Academy

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Introduction

Be still and know that I am God.

—Psalm 46:10 ESV

I hold a vivid childhood memory of my mother asking my older brother, Danny, and me if we had accepted Jesus Christ as our savior. We were quite young at the time and were asked after watching a televised Billy Graham crusade together as a family in the early 1970s. While I can’t speak for my brother, something about that inquiry made me uneasy. I remember being confused, not really understanding what my mother was asking.

I turned and looked at my brother with the hope of getting an indication of what my answer should be. His face revealed nothing. My young mind, with its limited reasoning abilities, knew that if I answered no, I might be in some kind of trouble. This I gathered from the ominous atmosphere the question created, along with my mother’s demeanor while waiting for our replies. She wanted us to answer yes. So that’s what I did.

But I felt a bit guilty. I knew deep down in my heart that yes wasn’t the full truth. Although I had been raised in a Christian home, I had not yet felt the presence of God. I didn’t know what it meant to have accepted Christ as my savior.

Needless to say, time passed, as did my guilt, and I went about my own business, attending school and playing with friends, actively discharging the duty of growing up.

As I grew into my preteens, life threw me a significant curve ball, and I began to better understand who God is and the significance of walking with Him. I also became the target of a paternal predator. With innocence lost and trust depleted, feelings of chronic dread and ambiguity along with a rapidly declining sense of self-worth plagued me. This was compounded by the continued presence of the architect of the abuse, leaving me with a dwindling sense of security and direction. I also felt I had no voice. I was left in what I would describe as a state of gray. Though outwardly happy, inside I felt numb. I looked forward to nothing, enjoyed nothing, and began to question my existence. Though I never thought of ending my life, I was unable to find a purposeful place in it.

Thankfully, saving graces kept me busy enough to move forward. Between school, friends, and gymnastics, I was rarely at home. I also was blessed with brothers (Danny, J. R., and eventually the youngest, Paul) who supplied typical day-to-day sibling distractions, especially during the summer months.

The red brick house I grew up in was lovely—reminiscent of Old-World German charm—and sat on an acre of land. My dad built a tree house that we could jump from into the deep end of an in-ground pool. The yard was expansive, and it stretched back to a public cycling and exercise trail called the Prairie Path. I welcomed every opportunity to walk and explore it alone, gathering and eating all the wild strawberries and mulberries I could find.

One year or so after the abuse began, an experience on that path changed my life. Without warning, I felt the presence of God engulf my entire being. Time seemed to stand still. Motionless in my tracks, I looked up, squinting, and noticed the sky’s enormity and brilliance as if for the first time. Colors and light flooded back in. I felt the warmth of God’s presence filling the emptiness that had occupied my soul, replacing it with indescribable warmth and joy.

I savored it. With outstretched arms and my head tilted back, facing the heavens, I breathed in and then exhaled a lungful of air. I felt full of life, and I truly smiled for the first time in long time.

God’s glory was all around me. I was in a conversation with Him void of words, and I knew irrevocably that I was not alone. The gray was gone, never to return. It was replaced by a constant blanket of peace and happiness without measure. I had a Father in heaven who I knew I could always rely on, a Father who loved me enough to send His Son for my salvation. I could now answer yes without hesitation to the question my mother had asked so many years before. That blessed experience provided immeasurable peace, no matter the circumstances.

I am far from perfect. I have fought God, resulting in detours leading me astray, yet He always remains near, steering me back to less dangerous terrain. I’d eventually find my way back to His road. This book’s title, A Walk Along the Path, is what my life is about. My walk has been precarious and is far from over. He continues to sustain me.

Though I haven’t always known, understood, or even liked God’s plan for my life, I remain confident that if I trust and am still, following with the heart of a child, I can hear Him. He has carried me through life’s darkest storms. He is my