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Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We are so

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Speaker 1: glad to have you listening with us here today. Today's

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Speaker 1: topic is God's Wonderful Plans. We will return after a

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Speaker 1: brief message from our sponsor. God has wonderful plans in

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Speaker 1: store for you. Written by Vivian Bricker, read by Rochelle

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Speaker 1: Alberti Bible Reading. However, as it is written, what no

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Speaker 1: eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what

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Speaker 1: no human mind has conceived, the things of God has

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Speaker 1: prepared for those who love Him First Corinthians two nine.

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Speaker 1: Over the past year, I have come across many social

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Speaker 1: media posts noting that twenty sixteen was ten years ago.

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Speaker 1: My friends have shared posts reflecting upon their lives a

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Speaker 1: decade ago, how much they have changed, what they have accomplished,

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Speaker 1: how much happier they are now. While it is great

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Speaker 1: to see my friends flourishing in life, my heart breaks

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Speaker 1: every time I am reminded of twenty sixteen. Twenty sixteen

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Speaker 1: was the year my mom passed away. Every time I

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Speaker 1: see the Decade Challenge or Decade Glow up, I am

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Speaker 1: once again crushed with the reality that my mom has

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Speaker 1: been gone for ten years. Some days it feels like

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Speaker 1: she has been gone for only a few weeks, and

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Speaker 1: other days it feels like she's been gone for a century.

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Speaker 1: The pain of her absence has only increased over the years.

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Speaker 1: Upon restarting therapy, I discovered I have complex grief. Complex

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Speaker 1: grief is different from regular grief because the latter does

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Speaker 1: not endure for year. Instead, there is an ending point

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Speaker 1: and you are able to make peace with the death

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Speaker 1: of your loved one. However, with complex grief, it is

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Speaker 1: impossible for you to move forward. You are paralyzed by

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Speaker 1: their death and you feel like your life has ended.

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Speaker 1: Complex grief is remarkably common if you were dependent on

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Speaker 1: the person who passed away. Perhaps you are walking through

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Speaker 1: a similar season. A loved one passed away and you

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Speaker 1: are overcome with dread, grief, and pain. Rest at the

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Speaker 1: foot of the cross and find solace in the Lord.

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Speaker 1: Matthew eleven twenty eight through thirty. He will never make

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Speaker 1: you feel guilty for mourning the loss of your loved one,

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Speaker 1: whether the it's been a few days or a few decades.

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Speaker 1: God understands the pain you are experiencing today. Intersecting faith

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Speaker 1: in life during these times, it is important to reflect

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Speaker 1: upon our future with Christ. Paul tells us, however, as

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Speaker 1: it is written, what no eye has seen, what no

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Speaker 1: ear has hurt at, what no human mind has conceived,

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Speaker 1: the things that God has prepared for those who love

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Speaker 1: Him First Corinthians two Night. Although we may be struggling now,

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Speaker 1: this darkness will not endure forever. God has wonderful plans

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Speaker 1: for our lives, plans that we may not even know

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Speaker 1: about yet. Rather than fearing the worst, trust God. No

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Speaker 1: mind in all history has articulated the plans God has

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Speaker 1: for those who love him. As his followers, we can

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Speaker 1: surrender our pain, grief, and agony to him. God will

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Speaker 1: bring light back into our lives, surround us with his love,

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Speaker 1: and show us the plans He has for our lives.

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Speaker 1: Lean into God's amazing work to day, and trust him

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Speaker 1: with the process Proverbs three, five and six. Your grief

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Speaker 1: may continue for the rest of your life, but this

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Speaker 1: does not mean you cannot enjoy the wonderful plans God

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Speaker 1: has for you. He may even use this present pain

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Speaker 1: to encourage you to help others, such as supporting those

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Speaker 1: who have lost loved ones, building up the family of God,

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Speaker 1: or praying for those who are in the end of

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Speaker 1: life care. The plans He has for you are amazing.

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Speaker 1: Do not give up now your life has just begun.

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Speaker 1: Are you ready to take hold of the wonderful plans

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Speaker 1: God has for your life? What do you think God

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Speaker 1: has in store for you? Further reading Jeremiah twenty nine

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Speaker 1: to eleven, Proverbs sixteen nine, Romans eight twenty eight. Thanks

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Speaker 1: for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what you

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Speaker 1: heard today, we want to make sure you know about

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Speaker 1: our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. When you follow your

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Speaker 1: brand new prayer and devotional each day, so your days

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Speaker 1: begin in conversation with God. If you're looking to grow

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Speaker 1: in prayer or start your day with your heart focused

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Speaker 1: on the write things, search for your daily prayer in

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Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app and be sure to follow the

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