Finding the Pieces

By Kimberly S. Whitaker

"Our very survival depends on the ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant,

and to face the challenge of change." -MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Kim Whitaker lived what appeared to be a fairy-tale life. Surprisingly, she faced putting the shattered pieces of her home, life, and care

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Nov 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887388939

Kimberly S. Whitaker

Kim Whitaker turned lemons into limoncello. She also discovered a new life by restructuring the border and allowing herself time to reinvent days filled with purpose and wonder, both in her Nashville home and on a tiny farm in the heart of Tuscany.Each and every new day is a new adventure. Come along!

Book preview

979-8-88738-892-2_Cover.jpg

FINDING

the pieces

Kimberly S Whitaker

Finding the Pieces

Trilogy Christian Publishers A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

2442 Michelle Drive Tustin, CA 92780

Copyright © 2023 by Kimberly S Whitaker

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.TM Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without written permission from the author. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

Rights Department, 2442 Michelle Drive, Tustin, CA 92780.

Trilogy Christian Publishing/TBN and colophon are trademarks of Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Design by: Kelly Stewart

Photo by: Greg Travis

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Trilogy Christian Publishing.

Trilogy Disclaimer: The views and content expressed in this book are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views and doctrine of Trilogy Christian Publishing or the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN: 979-8-88738-892-2

E-ISBN: 979-8-88738-893-9

Dedication

The dedication should be easy.

Every rule says it should be short and to the point.

There are special ones to be found in the acknowledgments,

but this book is dedicated to you.

Each one of you holding this book has been the encourager

who placed the pen within my hand.

How could I select just one name?

I could list a thousand and still not be done.

This book is dedicated to each of you; all treasured pieces of my life…

some living and some gone.

Thank you for helping me find my pieces.

Acknowledgments

When people ask what Finding the Pieces is about, my answer has often been a challenge. It is NOT a typical memoir, nor did I sit down with a plan and start writing it. This book evolved from a lifetime of stories and posts and the urging from others to compile them.

So, the first Grazie must be to the folks in my life who encouraged me to take on the task of writing my first book! Here she is!

My second thank you would be to all the real-life characters contained within the pages of this book. Without you, I would have no story. Without you, many of my pieces would be missing. Thank you. I love you each so very much.

To Shelbi Chandlee, Jennifer Hudson, Rachel Hiatt and the team at TBN/Trilogy; thank you for your time, patience and guidance and for teaching me how to write a book! I know I have been quite a challenge. Grazie!

Thank you, Greg Travis, for helping me put the final pieces together on the cover and for your expertise in photo sizing! So thankful you were placed in my path.

Don Finto, Micheal W. and Debbie Smith. What joy you have added to my life. You are such great examples of faith and leadership to the world. So thankful to have you in a little corner of mine.

Nelson and Mariana Eddy. Your advice, encouragement and expertise has been such a blessing all along the way. I love you guys. You set the standard of what a marriage should look like, from the very first handshake. Yes, Nelson, I remember that! That’s all folks!

Steve and Gena Vineyard. You may have provided steel for the masses, but you assisted me in the opportunity of building a new life. Thank you.

Alexander. Thank you for seeing and reminding me of who I truly am and for showing me the castles.

Jean Ann…thanks for the immediate comment. You are such a Barnabas.

T&A. Thanks for the tangents and for your faith in me.

Riccardo, Paola and Francesco. How did I ever become so blessed as to have found you? You are truly mi famiglia. Dani, Gianna and Carlatina too. Muah!

My precious Hallie and Addie Grace and baby boy. You inspire me! While it’s hard for Nonna to be so far away from you, I pray for the day when I can share Italy with you and open new doors of adventure! Dream BIG little ones!

My immediate family. Mom, Dad and Kathryne. Thank you for putting up with that crazy, wide-open and wide-eyed dreamer from day one. You have loved, supported and encouraged me through every peak and valley. Most importantly, you have each instilled the love of the Father into me and have been beautiful examples of faith through adversity. How blessed I am to have been born into this family.

My Joseph and Clay. That the Father loved me so much as to entrust me as your mother will always be one of the greatest gifts in my life. You are some of my most cherished pieces. I pray you will always find comfort under my wing, love in my heart and kindness in my words. May my journey encourage you along yours and always lead you to Abba who makes all things new.

And last, but definitely NOT least. For God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…who allowed me into darkness to see them more clearly. Thank you for the precious gift of brokenness which changed my life forever. In it, and because of your infinite mercy and grace, I can see the entire image. Thanks be to God.

Endorsements

Blessing over the Reader

You are about to embark on a journey with our dear and gifted friend, Kim Whitaker. Her story is laid out on the following pages, and although she will take you overseas and in and out of heartache, the truth is Kim’s history is HISstory…God shows up in every chapter because Kim is His beloved child. He has been fitting the pieces of Kim’s life together and is continuing to guide her steps, whether in Italy or Nashville. (Location doesn’t matter when the heart belongs to Jesus!)

So, may God open your eyes and heart to the beauty of the story of one life committed to walking every day in step with Him and bless you with the grace to do the same. Enjoy the journey!

—Michael W. and Debbie Smith

Blessing over the Words

I don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone who makes a more joyful impression than Kim Whitaker. She spreads joy everywhere she goes—when she has friends over to enjoy her masterpiece creations, when she is describing a recent journey to Italy or some gathering with friends from wherever, but especially when she is talking about her Lord. When I first met Kim, I would never have imagined some of the disappointments and challenges and grief that had been a part of her life. She had and has so surrendered those hard places to God and has seen Him weave them into a tapestry of joy that she now spreads with every breath. Come along for the voyage with this woman of faith, this woman of joy, this woman of destiny. And you may end up being a bit changed yourself.

May this story and these words glorify the Father and enrich the lives of everyone who reads them.

God bless you, Kim!

—Don Finto

Table of Contents

Not a Foreword—A Forward

Response to the Forward

Introduction

All Roads Lead to Rome

It’s All in the Details

It Takes a Village

Vita Semplice

Draw What You See, Not What You Think You See

Up, Up, and Away

God Bless the Broken Road

Bella Musica

The Old Orange Fiat

The Big Black Hat and White Dust in the Doorway

Gioie della Tavola (Joys of the Table)

Remember Who You Are

The Pruning

Sing Again

Sing Again…Again

Always Look on the Bright Side

The Journey

The Survivors

The Unsinkable Titanic

Climb Every Mountain

About the Author

Not a Foreword—A Forward

As a writer, I believe a powerful and compelling story requires everything we have. It demands the best of us. I don’t know, but I may have even said that at some point to Kim when I was her senior high school English teacher.

Until Kim shared her story and the manuscript for this book with me, I didn’t realize just how true that observation about writing was. Truly, the life journey that has become this book didn’t just require Kim’s best—it took it. It demanded her fairytale marriage be destroyed in nightmarish fashion, her self-confidence be swallowed up in self-doubt, her beautiful family be torn apart, successful business abandoned, dreams given way to despair, and joy to anguish. The life she believed in and thought she knew was twisted into something unrecognizable.

But this is a story of redemption and not defeat. So, what changed the course of Kim’s journey? Travel. Taking wing to Italy began the process of Finding the Pieces for Kim.

This is a travel book. But not in the conventional sense. Yes, in the pages that follow, you’ll be treated to the beauty and wonder of Tuscany’s rolling hills and the joy and depth of the Italian people—you’ll experience both in adventurous stories and poignant photos. But those travels, while intimate and enriching, are secondary to the bigger journey and the real story here.

The real story is how Kim has navigated life since her breaking. Simply put, she doesn’t navigate. She invited God to steer by means of a very simple daily prayer. It’s a prayer that’s transported and transformed her and moved many others. This prayer has moved her closer to the Father and more in touch with herself simply by moving outside of herself.

Her prayer is simply this—that each day God would place someone in her path that either needs her in their life or whom she needs in hers. Read on, and you’ll discover all of the wonderful places and people that specific prayer and total dependence on the Father has taken her.

Who knows, this prayer and book might transport you as well. I know it has moved, changed, and challenged me. The talented and hopeful high school senior who was once my student is now the talented and hopeful woman, tempered by truth and guided by prayer, who has now become my teacher.

Ready to go? Let’s. And travel mercies as we do.

Nelson Eddy

1982 David Lipscomb High School English Teacher,

Nashville, Tennessee

Writer, Managing Partner-Creative

at DVL Seigenthaler–FINN Partners (1986–)

Response to the Forward

My dearest teacher,

Because you have experienced this place, you can imagine me sitting at the kitchen table here in Tavarnelle. I am facing the setting sun in the late heat of the day.

I just finished a tiny bit of editing the foreword; calming down, as you put it.

Although your original words are my exact feelings and truths, they may be too difficult for some to read, so they have been gently edited.

I am in a complete puddle. Not just because of your beautiful words but because God steered the boat in the direction of your writing them. The very use of the word navigation in your writing was occurring as they were written!

I was clearly disappointed when Michael told me he would be unable to write the foreword due to preparation for his world tour after the two-year pandemic. Of course, he graciously offered to help in any way possible, and did.

Just as in a million other plan Bs in my life, God was in complete control. To be honest, even though Michael W. Smith is one of the most gifted writers living today, I don’t believe he was meant to write those words. Although a cherished new friend, Michael did not know me or my story nearly as intimately as you do.

I believe God put the pen in your hand. The foreword for this book was meant to come from you… the teacher who instilled the very love of writing in my heart over forty years ago.

Thank you, dear teacher. This is everything. Although I am unworthy of your words, I do hope that mine will be an encouragement for others to survive…and not only survive but flourish!

Your always and ever devoted student and friend,

Kim

My sweet mama working a puzzle.

Introduction

My mother loves working on jigsaw puzzles, and last Christmas, I had one waiting on her when she arrived for a visit. She left before completing it, and one evening, even with my super-busy Christmas schedule, I sat down to finish it. I needed to decompress. There was only a tiny portion left to complete. I thought it would only take a minute; I would finish it, take it apart, then put it away.

As I began working, I discovered that a few edge pieces she placed, which did fit exactly side-by-side, did not fit once I tried fitting in the final ones underneath.

This crafty puzzle maker intentionally made several ways to trick the enigmatologist (puzzle solver). Although they appeared to fit one way, it was only when trying to place the inside pieces, the mistakes were revealed, causing the need to take it apart and completely restructure the border. What a light bulb moment this was for me!

As I crawled into bed that night, I thanked God for this important revelation. I literally imagined Him taking Mother’s hand in His and placing those pieces so I could finally see the big picture. God used a Christmas puzzle to illustrate this life-changing truth to me.

The outside pieces of my puzzle are mostly now in place, and I am finally beginning to see the inside pieces come together. I am still not certain what the image is, but that really doesn’t matter. I’m fine with waiting.

I know without a shadow of a doubt my life will be a glorious masterpiece because I know The Artist personally.

The stories written within these pages are those pieces. Just as in a jigsaw puzzle, each person, every story and memory, is a vital piece dependent on the other.

The reality is, my story was written before I was born.

The people and characters God has placed in my path from the time of my birth are very specific to my journey. He provided and allowed every piece, both good and bad.

I now understand some that I thought were the final outside pieces; many that I might have forced into place had to be rearranged. I also realize many of these pieces did fit…if only for a season.

I gratefully acknowledge and understand every piece has served a purpose and has ultimately worked together to