Persevere Through The Pain
Dear Champions,
The short excerpt is from former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy in his book, Quiet Strength, and the Scripture is Hebrews 13:5 . . .God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Dungy's son, Jamie, took his life on Thursday, December 22, 2005.
I had counseled so many players and others throughout the years, and now it was time to follow my own advice. These were certainly tough times, but our family couldn't quit living just because times were tough. Lauren and I knew our only option was to trust God and let Him lead us through the pain. Even though we didn't understand why Jamie had taken his life, our job was to persevere and continue to follow the Lord no matter what.
Times will get tough. God doesn't promise that once we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior well be protected from harm and pain and stress. But He does promise that He will be there to lean on during those times. Jamie's death will never make sense to me, and the pain of losing him will never go away. But in the midst of it all, I truly believe that hope is available to all of us-for joy in today and peace in the certainty that heavens glory awaits us.
People sometimes ask if I went through a typical grief cycle and what I learned from having gone through it. First, there is no typical grief cycle, and second, it's not something I went through. I'm still grieving, as is Lauren.
Why do bad things happen, and why did Jamie die? I don't know. But I do know that God has the answers, I know He loves me, and I know He has a plan-whether it makes sense to me or not. Rather than asking why, I'm asking what. What can I learn from this, and what can I do for God's glory and to help others?
Champions, have a great week!-David Vining
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