Dance With Jesus: From Grief to Grace

by Susan B. Mead

Overview

When we are lost in the storms of grief, only God can pierce the darkness. How can a broken, bewildered woman who lost . . . Her sister, a brilliant PhD nurse, to suicide Her youngest son to respiratory distress caused by an accidental drug-alcohol interaction, on the night of her brother-in-law’s memorial service Her sister-in-law to cancer, four years to the day after her son’s death . . . want to get out of bed and live—out loud and in color? Simple. God revealed Himself to her and breathed life back into every nook and cranny of her very being. In Dance with Jesus: From Grief to Grace, author Susan B. Mead shares her personal story of how God came to her in the midst of grief with a display of love, insight and comfort far beyond her expectations. Have you ever: Held the Hand of God? Felt God caress your broken heart? Heard Him speak out loud? Seen Jesus dancing with your lost loved one? Seen your loved one in the holy presence of God—on His Mercy Seat? Do you want to? In her vibrant, inspiring, and up-close-and-personal style, Susan freely shares how her encounters with God in the midst of overwhelming grief led her to a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him that truly restored her soul. Are you ready to laugh through the tears and dance—with Jesus? Susan B. Mead, a medical technologist with an MBA, spent 22-plus years in the diabetes sector with Johnson & Johnson prior to founding the blog Agog4God.com. After Susan lost her youngest son, she came to realize that even when things get broken, discarded, or replaced, people matter most. Susan is a Charter Blogger on the Bible Gateway Blogger’s Grid, has been published in Medical Laboratory Observer (MLO), is on the path to becoming a Chaplain with the IFOC and has been described as a solid, comforting voice in a messy world. 10% of the profit from Dance with Jesus: From Grief to Grace will benefit Water for LIFE to help dig water wells in remote locations around the world. People Matter!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781630473075
Publisher:	Morgan James Publishing
Publication date:	03/31/2015
Series:	Morgan James Faith Series
Pages:	130
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 6.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Susan B. Mead, a medical technologist with an MBA, spent 22-plus years in the diabetes sector with Johnson & Johnson prior to founding the blog Agog4God.com, A Gathering of Girlfriends and Guys for God. After Susan lost her youngest son, she came to realize that even when things get broken, discarded, or replaced, people matter most. Susan is a Charter Blogger on the Bible Gateway Blogger’s Grid, has been published in Medical Laboratory Observer (MLO), and has been described as a solid, comforting voice in a messy world.

Read an Excerpt

We had the pallbearers lined up for Kyle’s service. Both hockey teams that Kyle had played for were going to be honor guards, and his closest friends were the pallbearers. One of his dearest friends, Steven Robertson, who we call Bub, even flew into Louisiana from Sydney, Australia to serve as a pallbearer for Kyle. And a friend on the Isle of Wight lit a candle for this twenty-year-old young man. How is it that some folks know people all over the world? Even in a short twenty years, Kyle lived—exuberantly! Imagine my horror, then, when I found out that one of Kyle’s closest friends, Kenny, had been with Kyle when he purchased drugs which, combined with a beer later that evening, caused respiratory distress, resulting in Kyle’s death. Kyle’s body was still in Lafayette and the funeral was to be scheduled once he had been released from the morgue and transported up to Shreveport, so timing was still up in the air at that point. I immediately called Matt to say that I could not have Kenny as a pallbearer. Matt’s words were simple, eloquent, and have subsequently changed the course of my life: “Mom, God’s already forgiven Kenny. You need to too.” “Oh, Matthew, I will have to pray about that.” And the burden lifted a little. God gave me the grace to forgive Kenny, for Kenny had—and still has—the heaviest load to bear. He carries it each and every day. His friend died. That cannot be changed. But it is our response to an event that shows our character, not the event itself. So how was I going to respond? I called Kenny the next day to let him know how absolutely disappointed I was in the decision that they both made, but Kyle loved him and would want Kenny there for him—and I would be honored for him to be a pallbearer for Kyle. Kenny is doing well to this very day—and served our country with honor. Rejoice! And that’s God—pouring His grace out on His children. You see, God knew we both needed His grace—to move from broken to breathing to blessed, free, and forgiven. Personal Reflection Have you needed to forgive someone? Did you forgive them? Have you prayed to God to lift that burden off of you—and then freely given the load to Him? Did you feel the burden lighten?

Table of Contents

People Matter – Join the Dance How to Use This Book Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Where is Matt? Chapter 2 God Gets His Money Chapter 3 Can’t Shoot ‘Til Noon Chapter 4 Joanie’s In That Box Chapter 5 She’s Mine Chapter 6 Big Old Ugly Hairy Spider Chapter 7 Tattoo Taboo Chapter 8 Living to Die At Home Chapter 9 Broken to Breathing Chapter 10 I Taught Him How … To Dance Chapter 11 He’s in My Presence Chapter 12 The Dark and Broken Places Chapter 13 Living And Loving After Losing Chapter 14 My Higher Power is Messing With Me Chapter 15 Carve His Name Chapter 16 Odd or God Chapter 17 That One’s Right Chapter 18 Who’s She Holding On For? Chapter 19 Big Date Chapter 20 Hold His Hand Chapter 21 You Show Up Chapter 22 A Boy and His Dog About the Author