Hannah Helps

By Janean
There is some exciting news from this weekend. Our new pastor arrived in Wisconsin and he preached for the first time as our pastor this past Sunday! Our church went almost two years without a pastor. However, over these years, we have been greatly blessed with wonderful men to fill the pulpit, along with two godly men that were willing to be our “part-time” pastor for a few months. This is a wonderful next step for our church. It seems that two years ago, our lives were lost in a whirlwind that was pulling us downward. We were working through things at church, Dave needed surgery on his foot, our pastor at that time felt the Lord calling him away from the ministry, responsibilities were added to Dave’s plate, Dave lost his job, time and work was spent looking for a pastor and take care of things that were needed at the church, a disappointing vote for a candidate for our church, and the final blow of Hannah’s accident the day after that vote. All of it was overwhelming. The only thing we could do was to throw ourselves at the feet of Jesus and ask for His guidance.
Now, it’s starting to feel like some things are reversing and maybe the whirlwind is starting to go back up. Many things have been accomplished and taken care of at church. Dave’s foot is doing well. Now we have a new pastor, which doesn’t mean Dave’s responsibilities will become lighter, they will just change. However, this should be exciting! A new man of God to help the body grow in their relationship with Christ. But once again, this is just another part of life that is moving on. Just like everything and everyone else moves on, we feel held back by our loss.
Having a new pastor and his wife is great, but they know little about us personally. They know nothing about who Hannah was, they never heard her squeal with excitement or heard her addictive laugh, nor were they ever bombarded with her never ending questions. They can hear things from people, or we can even try to explain how things were, but it’s not the same. It is so easy for people to move on, especially those who don’t have that personal connection. I understand it and admit it, I used to be the same way. No matter how hard I tried to understand and feel what someone was feeling after they had a loss, I could never fully understand, until Hannah.
Last year, everything was so surreal and unbelievable. I struggled with my mind telling me that Hannah was just away at college or on a missions trip. However, I knew deep down that she was gone. This year, reality has settled in. She is gone. Her car is driven by someone else. Her dog, Mel, will continue to lie at my side not her’s. If I go to any lady’s retreats, I will be going without her. I will never enjoy “girl” movie night again. In my last post, I talked about every unbeliever has a Christ shaped hole in their life, I have a “Hannah” shaped hole that will never be filled till I am in heaven. The loss of Hannah will forever be a hold on my heart.
However, each day, I pray and ask God to help me to follow our motto; Do Right, Breathe, Take Small Steps, and Keep Moving Forward. What does this entail? Number one, serve the Lord! I would not have survived this trial without Him. He is my all, my help, my strong hold. Number two, take care of my family. Stand beside my husband and work with him in the direction that God is leading with our none profit, allergy awareness, and organ donation awareness. Help each boy take the next step in these vulnerable years. Instruct and guide them to live each day of their lives for the Lord. Number three, I can’t allow disappointment, anger, frustration, or bitterness to creep in when I see everyone and everything around me moving on. That’s just life. Number four, come alongside our new pastor’s wife, and help where it’s needed. I can’t allow the loss of Hannah to hold me back and hurt what God continues to do.
In your prayers for us today, please keep in mind this transition of a new pastor and our church. May the Lord be glorified and our church unite together to win the lost in our community.
We are blessed.
If you would like to donate to Hannah Helps:
paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/5609126