When the Hurt Won’t Quit

By Brenda J Wood

Grief is not a one- time- thing. It catches at our hearts when we spot familiar objects or hear certain music. Brenda J Wood captured her grief moments over several years to remind us that every day truly will get a little better, even though the hurt never totally disappears.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brenda J Wood
• Release date: Jan 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215989265

Brenda J Wood

I call myself the ABC girl’ because I’ve survived the alphabet biggies of abuse, bulimia, and cancer.Right now I am working my way through the D’s that is recovering from the loss of my husband a few months ago.I expect to conquer the entire alphabet in my life time with the help of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.I am a somewhat average gal, not too tall, not too round, not too old or too young. I am not too outgoing, yet I am definitely not an introvert.I started to write seriously when I learned that journaling could help a person overcome sexual abuse. I thought that is for me! Eventually I started publishing the devotions that fill my journals.Some of those devotionals became the book, Heartfelt Devotionals-366 devotions for common sense living.My devotionals appear regularly at http://everydaychristian.com / and http://daily.presbycan.ca /I tend to write about what is happening in my life. Constant dieting produced the Bible Study, God, Gluttony & You, as well as several health related cookbooks.When Ron passed, I wrote a picture/story book for grieving children, called The Big Red Chair (2011).Meeting Myself-Snippets from a Binging and Bulging Mind (Word Alive Press) is the newest release. As you might expect from the title, it’s the painful, though often funny story of my recovery from abuse and bulimia. I’m honoured that both Michael Bull Roberts and Nikki Rosen read and endorsed it.You might have guessed by now that my next book will be about losing my Honey. I guess you could say that writing saved my life. Oh, I know that without Jesus and my husband Ron, (who was my ‘Jesus with skin’) I’d have sunk. But writing gives me a place to look at my life and recognize how far I’ve come.

Book preview

When the Hurt Won’t Quit

Comfort for the Broken-Hearted

Brenda J. Wood

When The Hurt Won’t Quit, Comfort for the Broken-Hearted

Copyright © 2022 Brenda J. Wood,

First Printing 2022

Unless otherwise stated, all writings, poems, puzzles, comments, and errors are the copyrighted work of the author, Brenda J Wood.

No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form, by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

FIN 25 05 2022

ISBN Print 978-1-895026-65-8

ISBN eBook 978-1-895026-65-2

IF STATED: The scriptures are taken from:

The Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

The King James Bible.

THE MESSAGE, copyright 1993, 1994, 1195,1996, 2000, 2001,

2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

The Amplified Bible, copyright 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament copyright 1958, 1987 by The Lockman foundation. Used by permission.

At twenty, we discussed wedding plans and babies.

By thirty-five, we bemoaned the terrible teens. Before we knew it, pensions were on the table.

And now we share the pain of lost loves.

Let these personal experiences refresh your heart

Journal Truths

God, I can’t see any farther than the nose on my face…which to be honest is farther than most people–due to its size. That’s a line from my journal during one of my times of loss and despair. It’s followed by:

How can I write when everything around me is so awful?

Yet I did write in spite of the darkness. Oh, not on the computer, or even on a yellow notepad splattered with spilled coffee and tears.

I detailed my angst in journals, just as I’ve always done. Later those same journals translated into several powerful books; powerful because painful truths are recorded there, even though the eyes of my heart were temporarily blinded with grief.

It’s not a sin to be blind, even temporarily. (John 9:2-3) We need time to recover. (Genesis 19:11) God allows darkness for healing. (Exodus 4:11) In due time, we will see the world as we once did…with light. (Psalm 146:8)

Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. (Isaiah 35:4-5).

Heavy Hearts

Our hearts sigh with sadness, but others don’t feel our depth of pain. Friends and family members jolly us along. Our sadness drags them down. We want to be alone, cry healing tears, and ponder our future. Instead, we hear words like: Get over it! Your husband died two months ago. Get a life. Lighten up. Your constant crying depresses everyone.

Where can we go in the midst of our suffering, when friends don’t understand? Only one place offers healing in every situation.

This is my comfort and consolation in my affliction: that your word has revived me and given me life (Psalm 119:50).

It’s hard to believe right now, but the time will come when we again enjoy life. We will face the future in the midst of new circumstances. We will indeed sing again.

Good and Bad with God

I had my first cancer surgery at the same time that my husband broke his jaw in ten places in an accident at work. Almost to the day, a year later, I had more cancer surgery and Ron broke his back in another work-related accident. The house was struck by lightning, Ron got diabetes and I began to have flashbacks.

A tired, worn-out mummy spent her days at home with four preschool children. One day daddy brought home a newborn puppy for the children to love and mommy to care for. The children brought the puppy to mummy and they cried Mummy, mummy, what shall we call our puppy?

And mummy said You had better call that dog Mummy, because if it stays—I am out of here!

I felt as though a puppy lived in my house. I thought I couldn’t stand one more thing.

Then I read… Though the fig tree does not blossom and there