Dallas County Living Well Magazine July/August 2017 | Página 18

Beyond Understanding Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God,  which transcends all understanding,  will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6, 7, NIV Kristie was only 26 when she lost her mother. Suddenly, without ex- planation, her healthy 50-year-old mother passed away. Kristie had come from a long line of Believers—her grandfather was a preacher and she remembers communing with God at a very young age. Nev- ertheless, the unexpected death of her mother made her question the goodness of God. How could a good and loving God cause, or even allow something so painful? She was just beginning her own life as a wife and mother, experiencing a difficult time in her marriage and rearing a 2-year old daughter; she needed her mother as much as ever, a desire that would never again be fulfilled. Kristie was devastated. She had received the call about her mother around lunchtime on a weekday and by the time she arrived at the hospital, her mother was gone. She had been robbed of her moth- er, her daughter robbed of her grandmother, and now she’d been robbed of the chance to say goodbye. Her anger and disappoint- ment hardened her heart and sent her on a 20 year estrangement from God. She tearfully recalled a dream she had of her mother just shortly after her passing: “She knocked on my door and I opened it. I asked her to come in. She said she couldn’t, that she was only here to tell me she loved me. I asked her if she was in heaven and she said yes.” Kristie was deeply touched by the dream as it seemed to bring some closure. Years later, through counseling she learned healing could not begin until she forgave God for the death of her mother. She did, but still did not trust Him, so she continued life without God and life without church. A few years ago, her sister bought land in Lavon and Kristie felt she was to build next door. She and her husband put their house on the market, both sure they were to move. Their house sat without interest, and even when a contract came, it fell through. Kristie was angry and ripped the for sale sign out of the yard. She was both frustrated and disappointed feeling like God was once more standing in the way of her happiness. 16 DALLAS COUNTY Living Well Magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2017