1 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:07,840 S1: I have a question for you today at the Radio 2 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:11,560 S1: Backyard fence. Think about a deep loss in your life. 3 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,480 S1: Maybe it was a season where you had a huge 4 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:16,840 S1: change happen. It could be a move. It could be 5 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,840 S1: a job loss. You lost a parent. You lost a spouse. 6 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,799 S1: You lost a child. Was there someone who came alongside 7 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:29,080 S1: you and helped you process that in that season? I 8 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,360 S1: want you to think about who that friend was. What 9 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:36,960 S1: did they do that was most helpful to you? Had 10 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:39,680 S1: they been through a similar loss that made them ready 11 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,080 S1: to identify with the pain you were walking through? Did 12 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:47,960 S1: they speak words that encouraged you? Did they just sit 13 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:50,880 S1: with you? Think about that, and I hope you'll reach 14 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,319 S1: out today, because my guess is your story will be 15 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,800 S1: just what someone else needs to hear today at the 16 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,700 S1: Radio Backyard fence. especially if that other person was in 17 00:01:01,700 --> 00:01:06,220 S1: the next generation, an older person who was speaking into 18 00:01:06,260 --> 00:01:08,580 S1: your life. That's what I want to talk about today 19 00:01:08,580 --> 00:01:11,180 S1: with an award winning author who has written a story 20 00:01:11,340 --> 00:01:13,900 S1: that's going to resonate in your soul, will meet her 21 00:01:13,900 --> 00:01:17,220 S1: and talk about the real and fictional friend who helped 22 00:01:17,220 --> 00:01:20,459 S1: her in a season of loss, straight ahead on the program. 23 00:01:20,459 --> 00:01:22,940 S1: To the heart for the heart. From the heart. This 24 00:01:22,940 --> 00:01:28,899 S1: is Chris Fabry, live online. Chris Fabry, FABRY. Chris Fabry live.org. 25 00:01:29,580 --> 00:01:32,820 S1: Where you will see a link to Founders Week 2026. 26 00:01:32,860 --> 00:01:37,540 S1: Tonight is the first session and the conference continues through 27 00:01:37,580 --> 00:01:42,140 S1: Friday evening. This evening it's Priscilla Shirer. Tony Evans is 28 00:01:42,140 --> 00:01:45,420 S1: tomorrow night. Her dad and then doctor Rick Nelson, the 29 00:01:45,420 --> 00:01:48,540 S1: new president of Moody, is going to be speaking on 30 00:01:48,540 --> 00:01:52,660 S1: Friday evening. There are other great sessions all day worship 31 00:01:52,660 --> 00:01:57,900 S1: Thursday and Friday. So click the Founders Week link right there@chris.org. 32 00:01:57,940 --> 00:02:02,029 S1: You can watch all of the sessions go deeper into 33 00:02:02,070 --> 00:02:05,030 S1: God's word with God's people. Let me thank our team. 34 00:02:05,030 --> 00:02:08,590 S1: Ryan McConaughey doing all things technical. Trish is our producer. 35 00:02:08,630 --> 00:02:12,070 S1: Lisa is helping out and Josh will be answering your calls. 36 00:02:12,270 --> 00:02:16,150 S1: One other group to thank and those who support this program. 37 00:02:16,389 --> 00:02:18,910 S1: Thank you. You enable us to present a topic like 38 00:02:18,910 --> 00:02:21,310 S1: today's that I know is going to be just what 39 00:02:21,310 --> 00:02:23,950 S1: somebody needs to hear. And the same is going to 40 00:02:23,950 --> 00:02:25,910 S1: happen tomorrow. The two Michaels are going to take your 41 00:02:25,910 --> 00:02:29,630 S1: Bible questions. You help provide that next Monday. Chuck Swindoll, 42 00:02:29,630 --> 00:02:32,990 S1: I can't wait to talk with him in one week 43 00:02:32,990 --> 00:02:37,350 S1: from today. Rosie's Book Club is back. Read or reread 44 00:02:37,350 --> 00:02:40,870 S1: The Screwtape Letters between now and next Wednesday and join 45 00:02:40,870 --> 00:02:44,269 S1: us for the conversation. I say all that to let 46 00:02:44,270 --> 00:02:49,790 S1: you know that this what you provide here is those 47 00:02:49,790 --> 00:02:54,109 S1: kinds of deep conversations and you keep them going. And 48 00:02:54,110 --> 00:02:56,510 S1: when you become a friend and give a one time 49 00:02:56,510 --> 00:03:00,130 S1: gift or a back fence partner and support us each month. 50 00:03:00,410 --> 00:03:02,970 S1: We have a thank you and right now for ten 51 00:03:03,010 --> 00:03:07,770 S1: more days. It's the 31 day Advent Devotional by Nancy DeMoss, 52 00:03:07,810 --> 00:03:11,850 S1: Wolgemuth consider Jesus. It's an excellent way to prepare your 53 00:03:11,850 --> 00:03:16,330 S1: heart for the celebration of God's greatest gift. But I 54 00:03:16,370 --> 00:03:18,330 S1: decided to give it away here in October so we 55 00:03:18,330 --> 00:03:23,370 S1: can get it to you before December. Just go to kris.org. 56 00:03:23,410 --> 00:03:27,450 S1: Scroll down. You can give right there, Kris fabriclive.org, or 57 00:03:27,450 --> 00:03:37,410 S1: call us at 866958669532279. And thank you for your support 58 00:03:37,410 --> 00:03:41,490 S1: of the Radio Backyard fence. The theme of Founder's Week 59 00:03:41,490 --> 00:03:46,290 S1: is Generation to Generation the Unstoppable Gospel. And that's why 60 00:03:46,330 --> 00:03:50,730 S1: I'm excited about Priscilla and then Tony tomorrow night. And 61 00:03:50,730 --> 00:03:54,050 S1: that idea of one generation speaking into the next reminded 62 00:03:54,050 --> 00:03:57,110 S1: me of a novel that I read that has in 63 00:03:57,110 --> 00:04:01,310 S1: it this older person speaking into a younger person's life. 64 00:04:01,510 --> 00:04:04,630 S1: Two people who have gone through deep loss, who become 65 00:04:04,630 --> 00:04:09,710 S1: unexpected friends and then enrich each other's lives. The novel 66 00:04:09,710 --> 00:04:15,190 S1: is titled Where Wilted Flowers Bloom. No roses were harmed 67 00:04:15,190 --> 00:04:18,310 S1: in the writing of this novel by Joanna Rojas van. 68 00:04:18,790 --> 00:04:23,430 S1: Joanna is a multi-award winning author of An American Immigrant. 69 00:04:23,630 --> 00:04:25,750 S1: She won a Christy Award for that. I was in 70 00:04:25,750 --> 00:04:28,430 S1: the room when that happened, as well as the International 71 00:04:28,430 --> 00:04:31,310 S1: Latino Book Award for Best First Book and the silver 72 00:04:31,310 --> 00:04:36,070 S1: winner for the Isabel Allende Most Inspirational Book Award. She 73 00:04:36,070 --> 00:04:39,229 S1: and her husband, Daniel, lived near Nashville with their four children, 74 00:04:39,230 --> 00:04:42,430 S1: who are five and under. Can you believe it? And 75 00:04:42,430 --> 00:04:47,310 S1: their featured resource at the website is where Wilted Flowers bloom. Joanna, 76 00:04:47,310 --> 00:04:49,310 S1: welcome back to the program. How are you doing today? 77 00:04:50,510 --> 00:04:53,310 S2: Thank you Chris. I'm doing spectacular. Thank you so much 78 00:04:53,310 --> 00:04:54,070 S2: for having me. 79 00:04:54,270 --> 00:04:57,089 S1: I forgot to ask you. The van. Is it van 80 00:04:57,089 --> 00:04:58,450 S1: or van or something else? 81 00:04:59,010 --> 00:05:02,089 S2: It's van like a minivan. What? I drive. Okay. 82 00:05:02,330 --> 00:05:04,610 S1: I should have just. I just want to make sure. Okay. 83 00:05:04,650 --> 00:05:08,170 S1: So let's talk about, first of all, the power of story, 84 00:05:08,170 --> 00:05:11,010 S1: the power of fiction. There's just something. You see it 85 00:05:11,010 --> 00:05:14,010 S1: in Scripture. You see it in the Old Testament. You 86 00:05:14,010 --> 00:05:16,529 S1: see it in the New Testament. These stories that are 87 00:05:16,529 --> 00:05:18,890 S1: told that come around the back door of the heart. 88 00:05:19,050 --> 00:05:21,049 S1: Do you is that why you write? 89 00:05:22,570 --> 00:05:25,690 S2: 100%. I mean, God is the first storyteller, and I 90 00:05:25,690 --> 00:05:28,570 S2: love that the Bible is full of stories and Jesus 91 00:05:28,570 --> 00:05:31,290 S2: telling parables. I think it's one of the most beautiful 92 00:05:31,290 --> 00:05:35,610 S2: ways to teach someone something, to show them a truth 93 00:05:35,930 --> 00:05:40,330 S2: rather than get to them, but instead just sharing a 94 00:05:40,330 --> 00:05:44,130 S2: heartfelt story, because we can all connect to that. And 95 00:05:44,130 --> 00:05:46,490 S2: I learned that with my first book. And, you know, 96 00:05:46,529 --> 00:05:48,250 S2: it wasn't why I wrote the first book, but I 97 00:05:48,250 --> 00:05:50,770 S2: certainly learned that through the process. And I just love 98 00:05:50,770 --> 00:05:53,010 S2: that I get to continue to do that through my 99 00:05:53,100 --> 00:05:55,539 S2: new book and hopefully future books as well. 100 00:05:55,740 --> 00:05:58,980 S1: Yeah. Talk about the because the first book, An American Immigrant, 101 00:05:58,980 --> 00:06:02,660 S1: was a very personal story that was kind of your, 102 00:06:02,660 --> 00:06:05,900 S1: your mom and when and when you won the Christy Award, 103 00:06:05,900 --> 00:06:08,380 S1: it was like your mom was holding your newborn baby. 104 00:06:08,380 --> 00:06:10,900 S1: And so. Yeah. And she finally got into the room. 105 00:06:10,900 --> 00:06:14,620 S1: But why, why that? Why did that bubble up in your, 106 00:06:14,660 --> 00:06:15,580 S1: in your soul? 107 00:06:16,660 --> 00:06:19,460 S2: Well, to be honest, it was my husband. So around 108 00:06:19,460 --> 00:06:21,660 S2: that season of my life, I was asking my mom 109 00:06:21,660 --> 00:06:23,980 S2: a lot of questions that I had never asked her before, 110 00:06:24,300 --> 00:06:27,179 S2: asking her things about why she came to the United 111 00:06:27,180 --> 00:06:29,460 S2: States in her 20s, what it was like. What was 112 00:06:29,460 --> 00:06:31,260 S2: it like to live in New York City as an immigrant, 113 00:06:31,300 --> 00:06:35,460 S2: not speaking English and just learning so many fascinating stories. 114 00:06:35,500 --> 00:06:37,940 S2: And I started sharing with them with my husband at 115 00:06:37,940 --> 00:06:40,900 S2: dinner every night. And there was one night where he said, man, 116 00:06:40,900 --> 00:06:43,620 S2: this is so interesting. I don't think you realize how 117 00:06:43,660 --> 00:06:45,859 S2: unique these stories are. I think you should write about 118 00:06:45,860 --> 00:06:48,179 S2: them and and try to turn them into a book. 119 00:06:48,180 --> 00:06:50,900 S2: I wasn't a fictional writer. I was actually a copywriter 120 00:06:50,900 --> 00:06:53,880 S2: at the time and knew nothing about writing fiction, but 121 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,520 S2: he just continued to encourage me. And I did read 122 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:58,440 S2: a lot of fiction and he he said, you should 123 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:01,600 S2: just try it. And so I started, I believed him, 124 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:03,520 S2: I thought it was a good idea. I believed that 125 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,520 S2: it was a good idea. And so I started writing, 126 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:10,960 S2: and within a few months I had 80,000 words. And 127 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,480 S2: so when he when he looked at me, he said, 128 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,280 S2: I can't believe you finished it. Most people can't even start. 129 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:19,720 S2: You finished. You need to keep going. Keep pursuing this. 130 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,120 S2: Find the agent. See if you can find a publisher. 131 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:24,800 S2: And let's see what happens. So it's all due to 132 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:26,720 S2: my amazing husband, Daniel. 133 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,800 S1: Yes. And people who said yes to you, but also 134 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:33,960 S1: those who said no. And that didn't stop you because 135 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:36,720 S1: that stops a lot of people. You get a few 136 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:40,200 S1: no's in the in the mail or an email and, 137 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:42,240 S1: and it can really stunt you can't it? 138 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:47,200 S2: 100%. Yes. It's so easy to take those no's so 139 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,820 S2: personally and think, well, this is worth nothing. I better 140 00:07:50,820 --> 00:07:52,820 S2: move on. You know nothing's going to come of it. 141 00:07:52,820 --> 00:07:55,020 S2: Which is why I think it's just so important to 142 00:07:55,060 --> 00:07:58,300 S2: surround yourself with supportive people. And I do remember sharing 143 00:07:58,300 --> 00:08:00,620 S2: with a few close friends that I had written this, 144 00:08:00,620 --> 00:08:03,020 S2: and that I was pursuing this for that very reason, 145 00:08:03,020 --> 00:08:05,540 S2: so that I would have those cheerleaders in my life 146 00:08:05,900 --> 00:08:08,700 S2: who would tell me, hey, hey, hey, yes, you got 147 00:08:08,700 --> 00:08:10,420 S2: to know you're probably going to get ten more. You 148 00:08:10,420 --> 00:08:12,540 S2: got to keep going because you never know what's going 149 00:08:12,580 --> 00:08:15,020 S2: to happen. And my husband is my husband too, would 150 00:08:15,020 --> 00:08:18,340 S2: bring up so many examples of even really famous people 151 00:08:18,340 --> 00:08:21,940 S2: like Taylor Swift, who would rerelease a song 20 years later, 152 00:08:21,940 --> 00:08:23,740 S2: and all of a sudden it's a hit. And so 153 00:08:23,900 --> 00:08:28,300 S2: just having those encouragers surrounding you will really help you 154 00:08:28,300 --> 00:08:31,420 S2: to keep going and see some of your dreams come true. 155 00:08:31,580 --> 00:08:35,020 S1: Yeah, I don't do as much fiction on this program, though. 156 00:08:35,020 --> 00:08:37,260 S1: I love fiction and I love to write it and 157 00:08:37,260 --> 00:08:40,780 S1: talk about it, but we've got two programs back to 158 00:08:40,820 --> 00:08:44,460 S1: back that are about fiction. We had Jerry Jenkins and 159 00:08:44,460 --> 00:08:49,059 S1: Doctor Mark Yarbrough yesterday talking about this epic story that 160 00:08:49,190 --> 00:08:52,870 S1: goes into eternity past and the creation of the world 161 00:08:52,870 --> 00:08:55,830 S1: and the. The fall of the angels. You know, the 162 00:08:55,830 --> 00:08:58,990 S1: Lucifer Falls and all that's going on in. There. And 163 00:08:58,990 --> 00:09:03,349 S1: the battle in heaven. But that book is dealing with, 164 00:09:03,390 --> 00:09:06,110 S1: in a sense, the same thing that you're dealing with 165 00:09:06,150 --> 00:09:09,510 S1: in where wilted flowers bloom. And that is the problem 166 00:09:09,510 --> 00:09:13,990 S1: of evil. Why does God allow. Why did he allow 167 00:09:14,030 --> 00:09:16,550 S1: sin in the first place? Why did he allow bad 168 00:09:16,550 --> 00:09:19,790 S1: things to happen? And how do you trust him if 169 00:09:19,790 --> 00:09:23,350 S1: you don't know what he's going to allow next? That's 170 00:09:23,390 --> 00:09:26,270 S1: woven about this into this book, isn't it? 171 00:09:26,710 --> 00:09:30,429 S2: Mhm. Absolutely. I think it is a question that all 172 00:09:30,429 --> 00:09:34,270 S2: Christians struggle with and wrestle with, and I think non-Christians 173 00:09:34,270 --> 00:09:37,470 S2: do as well. Um, but I think with, with being 174 00:09:37,470 --> 00:09:40,790 S2: a believer, we, we have to I think we have 175 00:09:40,790 --> 00:09:42,990 S2: to come to this understanding that there is a lot 176 00:09:42,990 --> 00:09:46,350 S2: of mystery involved in our faith and we have to 177 00:09:46,470 --> 00:09:50,290 S2: accept that that is a good thing. That God is 178 00:09:50,730 --> 00:09:53,610 S2: all knowing, all powerful. He knows so much more than 179 00:09:53,610 --> 00:09:56,090 S2: we do. He's been around from the beginning of time. 180 00:09:56,090 --> 00:09:58,490 S2: We have not. And so I think we get to 181 00:09:58,530 --> 00:10:01,089 S2: hold on to that as a good thing, that there's 182 00:10:01,090 --> 00:10:03,730 S2: a lot of mystery. We don't know everything. One day 183 00:10:03,730 --> 00:10:06,329 S2: we will, one day we will understand and that will 184 00:10:06,330 --> 00:10:09,010 S2: be a great day. But for now, we can rest 185 00:10:09,250 --> 00:10:11,170 S2: in knowing that the Bible is true. And what the 186 00:10:11,170 --> 00:10:14,490 S2: Bible says is that God is good. God works all 187 00:10:14,490 --> 00:10:17,250 S2: things for good. That doesn't mean that he causes things 188 00:10:17,250 --> 00:10:19,890 S2: so that we can experience good, but instead that he 189 00:10:19,890 --> 00:10:23,730 S2: can turn anything that we experience in our life any tragedy, 190 00:10:23,770 --> 00:10:26,810 S2: any sorrow, he can. He can take that if we 191 00:10:26,809 --> 00:10:28,730 S2: will give it to him and he can make something 192 00:10:28,730 --> 00:10:30,890 S2: beautiful out of it. Which is what I really wanted 193 00:10:30,890 --> 00:10:34,050 S2: to show in this book, was how this tragic loss 194 00:10:34,050 --> 00:10:37,770 S2: that Sandra walks through, she can she can make, he 195 00:10:37,770 --> 00:10:39,970 S2: can make something beautiful out of those ashes. 196 00:10:40,290 --> 00:10:47,550 S1: Yes. And, and trust does not always give you the 197 00:10:47,590 --> 00:10:50,710 S1: full picture, though. I think that's one of the reasons 198 00:10:50,710 --> 00:10:53,670 S1: why I like fiction, and I like to write fiction, 199 00:10:53,670 --> 00:10:56,950 S1: is that I can be in control. You know, I 200 00:10:56,950 --> 00:10:59,270 S1: can play God at least on the page, you know, 201 00:10:59,309 --> 00:11:02,990 S1: and get everything to work out. And that's in Christian fiction. 202 00:11:02,990 --> 00:11:07,750 S1: That's the hard part, is not having everything tie in 203 00:11:07,750 --> 00:11:10,470 S1: a bow and work out exactly the way you want to. 204 00:11:10,510 --> 00:11:14,470 S1: And it happens in this story, Joanna, and I'm going 205 00:11:14,470 --> 00:11:17,910 S1: to link to it at the website, chris.org. It's titled 206 00:11:17,910 --> 00:11:22,829 S1: Where Wilted Flowers Bloom. It's a novel by Joanna Rojas van. 207 00:11:23,230 --> 00:11:25,750 S1: And if you go to Chris Fabry live.org, scroll down. 208 00:11:25,750 --> 00:11:28,870 S1: You'll find out more about her. I ask this question 209 00:11:28,870 --> 00:11:31,950 S1: on Facebook. What friend walked with you through a season 210 00:11:31,990 --> 00:11:34,670 S1: of loss and helped you process it? I want to 211 00:11:34,670 --> 00:11:49,090 S1: hear from you at (877) 548-3675. Her first book, An American Immigrant, 212 00:11:49,090 --> 00:11:51,850 S1: won a slew of awards, and I knew the second 213 00:11:51,850 --> 00:11:55,569 S1: book was going to be really good. It's been three years, though, 214 00:11:55,610 --> 00:11:58,250 S1: since that first one came out until now, so this 215 00:11:58,250 --> 00:12:02,730 S1: has been percolating around her soul. Her name is Joanna Rojas. 216 00:12:02,770 --> 00:12:08,050 S1: Van featured resource. Today is where Wilted Flowers bloom. It 217 00:12:08,050 --> 00:12:10,330 S1: is a novel. So we're going to jump into this. 218 00:12:10,330 --> 00:12:13,210 S1: And the question on the table for you, friend, is 219 00:12:13,410 --> 00:12:16,209 S1: who walked with you through a season of loss? Who 220 00:12:16,250 --> 00:12:20,650 S1: helped you process that loss, and what was the most 221 00:12:20,650 --> 00:12:23,650 S1: important thing that they did when they came alongside you? 222 00:12:23,690 --> 00:12:27,810 S1: Was this someone who was older than you, who came alongside? 223 00:12:27,850 --> 00:12:29,650 S1: Won't you tell me a little of your story today? 224 00:12:29,650 --> 00:12:41,170 S1: And I think it'll fit in with our conversation with Joanna. 87754836758775483675. 225 00:12:41,210 --> 00:12:45,740 S1: I was talking with a doctor emergency medical doctor Matt 226 00:12:45,740 --> 00:12:50,620 S1: Rarer on Monday because he wrote a book about sleep. 227 00:12:50,620 --> 00:12:53,980 S1: And for those who have struggle when sleep won't come. 228 00:12:53,980 --> 00:12:56,260 S1: And I said, did this book choose you or did 229 00:12:56,260 --> 00:12:57,939 S1: you choose the book? And he said, it was kind 230 00:12:57,940 --> 00:13:00,460 S1: of both, but it was mainly he was doing all 231 00:13:00,500 --> 00:13:04,219 S1: these medical rounds and, and he was having trouble sleeping, 232 00:13:04,220 --> 00:13:07,380 S1: getting into a pattern of good sleep. And so he 233 00:13:07,380 --> 00:13:09,500 S1: just thought, I'm going to do research about this and 234 00:13:09,500 --> 00:13:12,140 S1: why not write about it? He's also a pastor. I 235 00:13:12,179 --> 00:13:14,620 S1: kind of feel like the same thing happened to you 236 00:13:14,620 --> 00:13:19,900 S1: with Where Wilted Flowers Bloom. This this story percolated in 237 00:13:19,900 --> 00:13:21,740 S1: your heart for a long time, didn't it? 238 00:13:22,700 --> 00:13:26,500 S2: Absolutely. I actually had the idea when I started writing 239 00:13:26,500 --> 00:13:29,500 S2: my first book. And when I started writing my first book, 240 00:13:29,500 --> 00:13:31,900 S2: I was a brand new mom. And not only that, 241 00:13:31,900 --> 00:13:33,660 S2: I was a brand new stay at home mom. So 242 00:13:33,660 --> 00:13:36,420 S2: I had recently left corporate America, and I was home 243 00:13:36,740 --> 00:13:40,420 S2: during the day by myself, just learning a new rhythm 244 00:13:40,460 --> 00:13:42,740 S2: of life. It's so different to go from getting dressed 245 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,040 S2: every day and being surrounded by a ton of other 246 00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:47,480 S2: smart people, and then being alone with a tiny baby 247 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,760 S2: and not really feeling confident because you're a new mom. 248 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,800 S2: And I spent a lot of time on the front porch, 249 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:56,600 S2: just honestly just killing time. And that was when I 250 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:58,960 S2: noticed that there was one other person on my street 251 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:01,640 S2: who was also home during the day, and he would 252 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:04,760 S2: also sit on his front porch for most of the mornings. 253 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:07,000 S2: And it was my elderly next door neighbor who was 254 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,719 S2: a widower and a retired preacher. And I just I 255 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,400 S2: had the idea instantly. Wouldn't it be sweet if a 256 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:15,880 S2: young stay at home mom became best friends with an 257 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:19,320 S2: elderly widower who was also a retired preacher who are 258 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:23,040 S2: living strangely similar lives, even though it feels like they're 259 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:25,880 S2: on opposite ends of the spectrum. But they're both alone 260 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:28,840 S2: during the day, they both have this this sense of 261 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:32,080 S2: a lack of purpose. Sometimes because they're not going into 262 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:35,480 S2: an office like everyone else is. And so what would 263 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:38,080 S2: happen if they became really good friends and helped each 264 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:42,300 S2: other through difficult situations in their life and also helped 265 00:14:42,300 --> 00:14:44,860 S2: each other become content in their season of life. 266 00:14:45,700 --> 00:14:48,220 S1: Yeah. And to deal with it and not run from 267 00:14:48,220 --> 00:14:51,940 S1: it because that's, that's the hard thing. And so let 268 00:14:51,940 --> 00:14:55,540 S1: me ask you, in your, you know, moving from corporate America, 269 00:14:55,900 --> 00:14:58,060 S1: stay at home mom, do you like that? Is that 270 00:14:58,060 --> 00:15:00,620 S1: is that an okay terminology for what you do? Stay 271 00:15:00,620 --> 00:15:01,340 S1: at home mom. 272 00:15:02,900 --> 00:15:06,300 S2: These days, yes. I when I just had two, we 273 00:15:06,300 --> 00:15:08,140 S2: were out of the house all the time. I was 274 00:15:08,140 --> 00:15:10,820 S2: a stay out of the house, mom. Now there's just 275 00:15:10,820 --> 00:15:13,700 S2: too many of them to leave the house all the time. Yeah. 276 00:15:13,700 --> 00:15:14,900 S3: And you do the homeschooling. 277 00:15:14,940 --> 00:15:15,780 S1: Thing too. 278 00:15:15,820 --> 00:15:16,020 S3: Right? 279 00:15:16,060 --> 00:15:18,860 S2: Yes. We are home a lot. I sure do. So 280 00:15:18,860 --> 00:15:21,860 S2: we're home a lot. And honestly, it's it's beautiful, I 281 00:15:21,900 --> 00:15:24,380 S2: love it. I wouldn't have it any other way. So 282 00:15:24,540 --> 00:15:26,500 S2: I love that term stay at home mom. I get 283 00:15:26,500 --> 00:15:28,740 S2: to be with my children. And it is truly one 284 00:15:28,740 --> 00:15:30,500 S2: of the greatest privileges of my life. 285 00:15:30,780 --> 00:15:33,780 S1: But it is a change. It is different. There is 286 00:15:33,780 --> 00:15:37,660 S1: a loss with what you just described about going to 287 00:15:37,700 --> 00:15:41,110 S1: the office, you know, getting dressed, being with other people 288 00:15:41,110 --> 00:15:43,830 S1: who can converse with you, and then being at home. 289 00:15:44,070 --> 00:15:46,270 S1: There is a loss in that too, right? 290 00:15:47,030 --> 00:15:50,510 S2: Absolutely, yes. And Sandra in the book does kind of 291 00:15:50,550 --> 00:15:52,470 S2: deal with that as well, because she is also new 292 00:15:52,470 --> 00:15:54,670 S2: to staying home, even though she's had two children. She 293 00:15:54,670 --> 00:15:56,910 S2: was working for a while and now she's moved to 294 00:15:56,950 --> 00:15:59,230 S2: Nashville and she's a new stay at home mom. And 295 00:15:59,230 --> 00:16:02,070 S2: it is something to grapple with because it is very, 296 00:16:02,070 --> 00:16:05,270 S2: very different. It is very different to have to go 297 00:16:05,270 --> 00:16:08,510 S2: from having a schedule, waking up with an alarm and 298 00:16:08,510 --> 00:16:12,430 S2: being in an office dressed professionally, and using your mind 299 00:16:12,430 --> 00:16:15,430 S2: in these creative ways every day and going to meetings. 300 00:16:15,430 --> 00:16:18,310 S2: And it's very different to then be at home and 301 00:16:18,310 --> 00:16:22,430 S2: cleaning up food and making food 10 million times a day. And, 302 00:16:22,470 --> 00:16:24,910 S2: you know, it's, it's different and it's something that you 303 00:16:24,950 --> 00:16:27,670 S2: grapple with. But I also think that there's so much 304 00:16:27,670 --> 00:16:31,150 S2: beauty and, and goodness to be found in this season 305 00:16:31,150 --> 00:16:33,390 S2: that I think sometimes it can be clouded by all 306 00:16:33,390 --> 00:16:37,430 S2: of the hard stuff of being home with small. Definitely 307 00:16:37,430 --> 00:16:39,690 S2: something that over the years I've had to like, seek 308 00:16:39,690 --> 00:16:42,810 S2: wisdom in. And just asking the Lord to show me 309 00:16:42,810 --> 00:16:45,330 S2: the goodness and beauty and joy of this season, because 310 00:16:45,330 --> 00:16:47,170 S2: I know it's not going to last forever. And I 311 00:16:47,170 --> 00:16:50,210 S2: know that 30, 40, 50 years from now, I'm going 312 00:16:50,250 --> 00:16:52,890 S2: to miss it so much. So that's kind of what 313 00:16:52,890 --> 00:16:54,570 S2: I try to hold on to. 314 00:16:54,730 --> 00:16:56,610 S1: And that's what they'll tell you. People like me will 315 00:16:56,610 --> 00:16:58,530 S1: tell you it goes fast, you know, because and you 316 00:16:58,530 --> 00:17:01,050 S1: know it when you're in your 20s and 30s and 317 00:17:01,050 --> 00:17:04,369 S1: your young parents, even 40s, you, you know that it 318 00:17:04,369 --> 00:17:09,090 S1: goes really quickly, but you don't know. You've never experienced it. And, 319 00:17:09,090 --> 00:17:12,090 S1: and so yeah, you'll you'll get there. Okay. So the 320 00:17:12,090 --> 00:17:15,170 S1: other thing that you had though, was this supportive husband 321 00:17:15,490 --> 00:17:18,690 S1: who had a vision for you. And there are women 322 00:17:18,690 --> 00:17:20,889 S1: listening today who say, I've always wanted to write something, 323 00:17:20,890 --> 00:17:24,530 S1: but I don't have anybody who is supporting me. So 324 00:17:24,530 --> 00:17:27,690 S1: you had that champion who could see something in you 325 00:17:27,690 --> 00:17:30,449 S1: and kind of call it out that even you didn't 326 00:17:30,450 --> 00:17:31,970 S1: know was in there, right? 327 00:17:32,970 --> 00:17:36,450 S2: Yes, absolutely. I give him so much credit for that. 328 00:17:36,450 --> 00:17:38,670 S2: And I think that if you don't have that husband 329 00:17:38,670 --> 00:17:41,750 S2: or wife at home who's supporting you and encouraging you, 330 00:17:41,990 --> 00:17:45,070 S2: surely you can find a friend, a parent, a sibling. 331 00:17:45,270 --> 00:17:48,430 S2: But we need those people who call out these giftings 332 00:17:48,430 --> 00:17:50,550 S2: in us that we don't even realize we have, like 333 00:17:50,550 --> 00:17:54,510 S2: you said. Because again, there's just so much. There's so 334 00:17:54,510 --> 00:17:56,709 S2: much to be discovered. I think that it's hard for 335 00:17:56,710 --> 00:17:58,950 S2: us to see it for ourselves. We only see ourselves 336 00:17:58,950 --> 00:18:03,230 S2: one dimensionally sometimes. And someone standing on the outside see 337 00:18:03,230 --> 00:18:06,990 S2: so many other things. So I definitely would encourage anyone 338 00:18:06,990 --> 00:18:10,430 S2: out there. If you don't have that spouse, find that friend, 339 00:18:10,430 --> 00:18:14,070 S2: find that coworker, that neighbor, that sibling who, who knows 340 00:18:14,070 --> 00:18:15,790 S2: you and talk to them about it. If you have 341 00:18:15,790 --> 00:18:17,830 S2: this inkling in you, talk to them about it and 342 00:18:17,830 --> 00:18:20,550 S2: explore it with them. Because I think it's, it's likely 343 00:18:20,550 --> 00:18:23,030 S2: that they will know and see something that you might not. 344 00:18:24,150 --> 00:18:28,429 S1: Why do we have such a problem in this culture 345 00:18:28,790 --> 00:18:33,389 S1: and even in the church, with grief and with loss 346 00:18:33,430 --> 00:18:37,440 S1: and with how long it takes. You know, because there's 347 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:40,080 S1: so many people who will have a death in the 348 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:42,360 S1: family and people will grieve for a while. But then 349 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:45,120 S1: we become like job's friends and we try to fix it, 350 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:48,400 S1: or we try to, you know, sell them along, you know, 351 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:51,400 S1: you should be at the end. No. Why do you 352 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:54,159 S1: think we have such a hard time with the process 353 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:54,959 S1: of grief? 354 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,199 S2: Yeah, I think, I think that we all have a 355 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:00,600 S2: different theology around it. This is something that I've been 356 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:02,760 S2: thinking about so much the past year since the book 357 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,320 S2: came out, or, or even longer, I'm sorry, since I 358 00:19:05,359 --> 00:19:09,119 S2: finished and submitted the manuscript. I think that we all, 359 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:12,080 S2: as Christians, we have a different theology around grief and 360 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:14,800 S2: how long it's supposed to take to get over some, 361 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:18,120 S2: to quote unquote, get over something if we're even supposed 362 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:20,240 S2: to get over it or, you know, how are we 363 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:22,919 S2: supposed to feel if it's been five, ten, 15, 20 364 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,959 S2: years and we still feel this deep sorrow over it? 365 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:28,440 S2: And so I think that's part of the problem and 366 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:31,159 S2: something that I've learned, honestly, just through the process of 367 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:33,440 S2: writing this book, it's not something that I often thought 368 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:38,020 S2: about before, But as I was writing, I realized. And 369 00:19:38,020 --> 00:19:40,859 S2: as I thought about my own grief that I've experienced, 370 00:19:41,100 --> 00:19:43,739 S2: maybe this isn't something that ever goes away. Yes, the 371 00:19:43,740 --> 00:19:47,540 S2: Lord gives us peace that surpasses all understanding, but I 372 00:19:47,540 --> 00:19:51,820 S2: don't know if that means we stop the grieving process altogether. 373 00:19:52,220 --> 00:19:54,939 S2: And actually, Chris, something that I realized just recently as 374 00:19:54,940 --> 00:19:57,860 S2: I was having a conversation with someone else was I 375 00:19:57,859 --> 00:20:01,900 S2: think that sometimes the grief that you might experience here 376 00:20:01,900 --> 00:20:03,980 S2: and there, you know, for example, for me, if, if 377 00:20:03,980 --> 00:20:07,500 S2: this grief pops up, I think it's actually a beautiful 378 00:20:07,500 --> 00:20:10,580 S2: thing because it leads me to God, you know? And 379 00:20:10,580 --> 00:20:14,180 S2: so I don't despair. I don't lose hope because in 380 00:20:14,220 --> 00:20:17,580 S2: that moment of grief, I have this picture in my 381 00:20:17,580 --> 00:20:21,780 S2: head of of Jesus in heaven and holding this baby 382 00:20:21,780 --> 00:20:25,340 S2: that I lost last year. And it brings me hope. 383 00:20:25,340 --> 00:20:27,540 S2: It really does give me peace, but I would never 384 00:20:27,540 --> 00:20:30,420 S2: reach that place. I would never connect with the Lord 385 00:20:30,420 --> 00:20:33,020 S2: in that moment if I didn't have that moment of 386 00:20:33,020 --> 00:20:36,600 S2: sorrow for that child. And so sometimes I think, you know, 387 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,200 S2: and I, you know, I think about my mom too. 388 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:42,000 S2: She lost her brother maybe six, seven years ago. That 389 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,080 S2: still brings her so much sorrow, you know, and she's 390 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:46,760 S2: one of the strongest Christians I know. And so I 391 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,800 S2: think that grief is because we live in a broken world. 392 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:52,960 S2: Grief is not something that we just get over. We 393 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:55,560 S2: just move on. We just never feel it ever again. 394 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:58,320 S2: But I think that it's beautiful that we get to 395 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,640 S2: grieve like those with hope, right? And what, what that 396 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:05,240 S2: looks like is when we grieve, we seek God. And 397 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:08,000 S2: God gives us that peace and that hope. And the 398 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,199 S2: next time that we feel that grief, we just do 399 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:12,760 S2: it all over again, right? It's a practice, a spiritual 400 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:15,640 S2: discipline of, of taking our grief to the Lord and 401 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:19,080 S2: allowing him to give us that gift of peace. 402 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:19,800 S3: Yes. 403 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:24,640 S1: The dedication is to every mother who daily carries the 404 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:28,440 S1: pain of having lost a precious child. I trust that 405 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,840 S1: you will see God's goodness in the land of the living. 406 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:35,780 S1: And that's what Sandra, the main character, is going through. 407 00:21:36,140 --> 00:21:39,380 S1: But when you sent that in, it was about a 408 00:21:39,380 --> 00:21:42,340 S1: week later. Tell the story of what happened. 409 00:21:43,060 --> 00:21:46,780 S2: Yes. So I wrote that dedication, and I knew for 410 00:21:46,780 --> 00:21:49,820 S2: months that I wanted to dedicate this book to all 411 00:21:49,820 --> 00:21:53,620 S2: mothers who have lost a child. But what was interesting 412 00:21:53,619 --> 00:21:56,020 S2: was that when I wrote that, I had never experienced 413 00:21:56,020 --> 00:21:59,179 S2: that before, but I had walked through many family members, 414 00:21:59,180 --> 00:22:02,540 S2: close friends, church members who had lost children. And it 415 00:22:02,540 --> 00:22:06,220 S2: was always such a heavy, tragic thing. And I wrote 416 00:22:06,220 --> 00:22:09,820 S2: that to them. And then seven days later, I learned 417 00:22:09,820 --> 00:22:12,740 S2: that the child that I was carrying no longer had 418 00:22:12,740 --> 00:22:14,939 S2: a heartbeat. And so that was the first time that 419 00:22:14,940 --> 00:22:18,820 S2: I had experienced a miscarriage. And I had already shared 420 00:22:18,820 --> 00:22:21,700 S2: the news, the happy news with my whole church, with 421 00:22:21,700 --> 00:22:24,420 S2: all of my family. Everyone knew that we were expecting again. 422 00:22:24,420 --> 00:22:28,379 S2: And it was so exciting. Um, I never once expected 423 00:22:28,380 --> 00:22:31,020 S2: to lose a child because I had already had three 424 00:22:31,230 --> 00:22:33,869 S2: healthy pregnancies and three healthy children, so it just wasn't 425 00:22:33,869 --> 00:22:38,109 S2: on my radar. So it was quite shocking. And, um, yeah, 426 00:22:38,109 --> 00:22:40,629 S2: it was, it was just interesting that seven days later 427 00:22:41,030 --> 00:22:45,389 S2: that happened and suddenly it felt like all of the 428 00:22:45,390 --> 00:22:48,189 S2: words that I had just written, even the dedication, the 429 00:22:48,190 --> 00:22:51,590 S2: whole book was written for me, was like something that 430 00:22:51,590 --> 00:22:54,030 S2: the Lord had prepared me for or had prepared for 431 00:22:54,030 --> 00:22:56,830 S2: me because I always said, you know that the Lord 432 00:22:56,830 --> 00:22:58,429 S2: wrote this book with me. You know, I was a 433 00:22:58,430 --> 00:23:00,710 S2: sleep deprived mother of three when I was working on 434 00:23:00,710 --> 00:23:04,030 S2: this book. Um, it was incredibly difficult. And there were 435 00:23:04,030 --> 00:23:07,550 S2: many days where I felt like God must have taken 436 00:23:07,550 --> 00:23:14,389 S2: over the 1800 words. And so when I lose the baby, 437 00:23:14,550 --> 00:23:17,230 S2: I do remember thinking, man, he really did write that 438 00:23:17,230 --> 00:23:19,710 S2: for me. He really did help me, like with these 439 00:23:19,710 --> 00:23:22,310 S2: words and, and the scripture and laid it all on 440 00:23:22,310 --> 00:23:23,870 S2: my heart, laid it all in the book so that 441 00:23:23,869 --> 00:23:27,350 S2: I could have it when I needed it most. Um, 442 00:23:27,390 --> 00:23:31,010 S2: and so yeah, I became, I became one of those mothers, unfortunately. 443 00:23:32,330 --> 00:23:34,330 S2: But I was so grateful to God in the way 444 00:23:34,330 --> 00:23:37,450 S2: that he used my own book to help heal me. 445 00:23:37,690 --> 00:23:38,210 S3: Yes. 446 00:23:38,570 --> 00:23:40,890 S1: Isn't he good to do that? And I know it's 447 00:23:40,890 --> 00:23:43,770 S1: going to happen to other people, too. There's somebody listening 448 00:23:43,810 --> 00:23:46,450 S1: today who has gone through some really deep water, and 449 00:23:46,450 --> 00:23:50,970 S1: a story like this can not just comfort and soothe 450 00:23:50,970 --> 00:23:55,570 S1: and salve the wound, but help you walk. Embrace the 451 00:23:55,570 --> 00:23:59,609 S1: pain as you walk through it. In in his strength. 452 00:23:59,730 --> 00:24:03,050 S1: So at the website, Chris Fabry live.org, you'll see Where 453 00:24:03,090 --> 00:24:06,730 S1: Wilted Flowers Bloom by Joanna Rojas van. Don't have time 454 00:24:06,730 --> 00:24:08,490 S1: to go to calls right now, but if you have 455 00:24:08,490 --> 00:24:10,930 S1: an answer to that question, what friend walked you through 456 00:24:10,930 --> 00:24:13,929 S1: a season of loss and helped you process it? Now's 457 00:24:13,930 --> 00:24:24,890 S1: the time to call 87754836758775483675. Real quick question, your husband 458 00:24:24,930 --> 00:24:29,790 S1: is a medical professional. Did he experience. How did he 459 00:24:29,830 --> 00:24:34,149 S1: go through the grief? Um, and did you go through 460 00:24:34,190 --> 00:24:37,350 S1: it differently? Your process and his process? 461 00:24:38,630 --> 00:24:42,189 S2: Yes. For sure. It's I think that we kind of 462 00:24:42,230 --> 00:24:46,590 S2: lived out the story in this book because in the book, um, 463 00:24:47,510 --> 00:24:50,910 S2: her husband is just so sweet and so kind and 464 00:24:50,910 --> 00:24:53,590 S2: always just thinking about her first that he kind of 465 00:24:53,630 --> 00:24:56,470 S2: sets his grief, you know, on the back burner. He, 466 00:24:56,470 --> 00:24:58,310 S2: there's no time for that because he's got to take 467 00:24:58,310 --> 00:25:00,870 S2: care of his wife. And I feel like that's definitely 468 00:25:00,869 --> 00:25:03,790 S2: the way that we both experienced it. Um, I think 469 00:25:03,830 --> 00:25:06,830 S2: a mother will always experience it differently right from, from 470 00:25:06,830 --> 00:25:09,950 S2: the father. Um, you carried that child. It's just different 471 00:25:09,950 --> 00:25:13,390 S2: the way that you, you know, you gave that baby 472 00:25:13,390 --> 00:25:16,310 S2: life and, and I think you're always going to grieve 473 00:25:16,350 --> 00:25:19,950 S2: differently from, from your husband. But I think very similarly 474 00:25:19,950 --> 00:25:23,590 S2: to the book, he, he focused more on me, um, 475 00:25:23,869 --> 00:25:26,629 S2: and comforting me and loving me through all of that. 476 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:28,080 S3: Is that interesting. 477 00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:32,520 S1: That that God was writing it with you and then 478 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:36,720 S1: it leaked over onto him as well. I'm sure that's 479 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:41,680 S1: Joanna Rojas van, where wilted flowers bloom as her featured resource. 480 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:44,359 S1: If you go to Chris Fabry live.org. You'll see a 481 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:47,000 S1: link to that right there, as well as Founder's Week 482 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,840 S1: coverage that's coming up and a whole lot more. Chris 483 00:25:49,880 --> 00:26:04,800 S1: Fabry live.org. More straight ahead on Moody Radio. If somebody's 484 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:07,680 S1: going through some deep water today and you feel like, 485 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:10,000 S1: I don't know if I'll ever be able to catch 486 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:12,920 S1: my breath, or if this thing, this trauma that I'm 487 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:17,560 S1: going through, if I'll ever be able to get past it, 488 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:20,960 S1: get through it to a place where I can breathe again. 489 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:26,020 S1: If that's you, then perhaps this story that comes from 490 00:26:26,020 --> 00:26:30,820 S1: the heart of Joanna Rojas van. Where wilted flowers bloom. 491 00:26:31,100 --> 00:26:34,340 S1: Might be a help to you. Or if you want 492 00:26:34,380 --> 00:26:37,420 S1: to help somebody else. If you're. You're coming alongside a 493 00:26:37,420 --> 00:26:39,780 S1: friend who's going through some deep water. I feel like 494 00:26:39,780 --> 00:26:42,780 S1: this is, uh, let me say this. I usually try 495 00:26:42,820 --> 00:26:45,859 S1: not to compare because if you compare your despair. When 496 00:26:45,859 --> 00:26:48,459 S1: I read Theo of Golden, I thought, well, this is 497 00:26:48,460 --> 00:26:51,380 S1: a really good story, and it's one of the reasons 498 00:26:51,380 --> 00:26:55,419 S1: why it's a good story is its simplicity. And with everything, 499 00:26:55,460 --> 00:26:58,580 S1: the furor that's going on in, in the culture, with 500 00:26:58,580 --> 00:27:00,740 S1: the anger and the vitriol and everything, it's nice to 501 00:27:00,740 --> 00:27:04,179 S1: read just a story about an old guy who's speaking 502 00:27:04,180 --> 00:27:06,580 S1: in the lives of friends and family, but you don't 503 00:27:06,580 --> 00:27:08,540 S1: know that much about him until you get to the 504 00:27:08,540 --> 00:27:11,060 S1: end with this book. It's the same kind of thing. 505 00:27:11,060 --> 00:27:14,300 S1: It's like this older man, this younger woman, they're both 506 00:27:14,300 --> 00:27:18,580 S1: walking through this deep water, but you find out her backstory, 507 00:27:18,580 --> 00:27:20,939 S1: you find out his backstory, which I'm not going to 508 00:27:20,940 --> 00:27:22,899 S1: tell you everything. You know all the answers to the 509 00:27:22,900 --> 00:27:26,479 S1: questions here, but you, you experience that. And you know, 510 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:30,440 S1: also this is why he has that garden. This is 511 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,720 S1: why they he has the bench out back where they 512 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:37,639 S1: sit and they have this conversation. Uh, so let me 513 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:40,280 S1: call a timeout right there and throw you the question 514 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:43,239 S1: that we asked on Facebook. What friend walked with you 515 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:46,440 S1: through a season of lost and helped you process it? 516 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:49,640 S1: Kyle is on the line. Kyle, why did you call today? 517 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:55,840 S4: I um, yeah, Chris uh, as soon as you guys started, uh, 518 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,960 S4: and said the first couple sentences and the question, uh, 519 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:04,200 S4: I knew exactly. I felt like the Holy Spirit was just, uh, crying, 520 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:09,240 S4: just pulling at my heartstrings. But, um, my, so I 521 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:12,520 S4: was a heroin addict, uh, as I went through high 522 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:15,399 S4: school and, uh, coming out of it. And I always 523 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:20,720 S4: knew the Lord. Uh, but coming out of it, um, I, I, 524 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:23,040 S4: I wanted to go to rehab and I wanted to 525 00:28:23,180 --> 00:28:28,340 S4: get clean. Um, but it was, it was so challenging 526 00:28:28,340 --> 00:28:32,340 S4: for me. Um, but the friend that stuck with me 527 00:28:32,340 --> 00:28:35,940 S4: and walked with me through that season was, uh, my 528 00:28:35,940 --> 00:28:42,740 S4: aunt and uncle pastors, Doug and Lori Hunter. Um, my 529 00:28:42,740 --> 00:28:44,980 S4: uncle stuck with me. He's been, he had been a 530 00:28:44,980 --> 00:28:48,860 S4: worship leader for 30 years. And, uh, he would come 531 00:28:48,860 --> 00:28:52,380 S4: and visit me on the weekends and he would bring 532 00:28:52,380 --> 00:28:55,700 S4: me different devotionals. And he brought me The Forgotten God 533 00:28:55,740 --> 00:28:59,140 S4: by Francis Chan. Uh, it just poured into me and 534 00:28:59,140 --> 00:29:03,900 S4: spoke life over me, just declaring God's promises over me. 535 00:29:05,220 --> 00:29:08,860 S4: And it just gave me hope. And, uh. And the 536 00:29:08,860 --> 00:29:12,940 S4: Lord just, uh, just poured into me. And I was 537 00:29:12,940 --> 00:29:15,580 S4: so thankful for that. And we were so close. He 538 00:29:15,580 --> 00:29:23,550 S4: had recently passed, uh, maybe about a year ago. Um, and, uh, he, uh. 539 00:29:23,550 --> 00:29:26,830 S4: I've been leading worship. He brought me onto the worship team, 540 00:29:26,830 --> 00:29:31,270 S4: and I've been leading worship, uh, ever, ever since then. 541 00:29:31,390 --> 00:29:34,950 S4: And I continue to do so. And, uh, I'm just 542 00:29:34,950 --> 00:29:40,110 S4: so thankful for the ministry that that the Lord begun 543 00:29:40,110 --> 00:29:43,190 S4: in his life and that, uh, he walked out and 544 00:29:43,190 --> 00:29:48,510 S4: I was able to just, um, grasp on to and just, um, 545 00:29:48,510 --> 00:29:54,830 S4: he was, he was so gracious and, um, just non-judgmental 546 00:29:54,830 --> 00:29:59,830 S4: and just, it was such a blessing. And I. 547 00:29:59,870 --> 00:30:02,230 S1: Kyle, I wonder, I wonder if he had gone through 548 00:30:02,230 --> 00:30:05,270 S1: anything like that. He and his wife, had they gone 549 00:30:05,270 --> 00:30:09,630 S1: through any kind of season of loss and, and, uh, that, 550 00:30:09,790 --> 00:30:12,750 S1: that gave them the vision to not be judgmental. But 551 00:30:12,750 --> 00:30:15,030 S1: just to, as you say, pour into you. 552 00:30:15,910 --> 00:30:19,590 S4: You know what? Um, I know they're. Yes. I mean, 553 00:30:19,590 --> 00:30:25,290 S4: I know my aunt was miraculously healed after eight years having. 554 00:30:26,130 --> 00:30:28,970 S4: I believe it was some unknown disease. She was crippled 555 00:30:28,970 --> 00:30:33,930 S4: and she was healed in a, in a season, uh, during, 556 00:30:33,970 --> 00:30:37,210 S4: during a, uh, a church service. And she started doing 557 00:30:37,210 --> 00:30:40,930 S4: cartwheels in the, in the, in the, uh, the aisles 558 00:30:40,930 --> 00:30:46,090 S4: because it was a miracle. And, uh, and, you know, they, 559 00:30:46,090 --> 00:30:49,810 S4: they had experienced different things in their life. Definitely. I know, uh, 560 00:30:50,610 --> 00:30:53,210 S4: but as far as like the addiction, I know him 561 00:30:53,210 --> 00:30:56,570 S4: with food that was sort of his addiction. And I 562 00:30:56,570 --> 00:30:59,290 S4: don't know if he just paralleled that, but he just 563 00:30:59,890 --> 00:31:03,770 S4: poured into me and just poured God's word into me. 564 00:31:04,130 --> 00:31:08,250 S4: And it just, uh, just, it stuck. And it's like 565 00:31:08,250 --> 00:31:14,330 S4: the Lord just, uh, touched me and, uh, through him. 566 00:31:14,330 --> 00:31:17,290 S4: And I was just so thankful for, for the both 567 00:31:17,290 --> 00:31:17,770 S4: of them. 568 00:31:18,050 --> 00:31:18,530 S3: Yeah. 569 00:31:18,570 --> 00:31:21,790 S1: You said it twice there. Kyle and Joanne, I want 570 00:31:21,790 --> 00:31:26,110 S1: you to jump in here. The poured into me. That's 571 00:31:26,110 --> 00:31:29,350 S1: kind of what happens in the novel, isn't it? 572 00:31:30,670 --> 00:31:34,870 S2: Absolutely. I think that we need those people. I think 573 00:31:34,870 --> 00:31:37,830 S2: that we were created to be that for each other, 574 00:31:37,830 --> 00:31:41,310 S2: pouring into someone else, and someone should always be pouring 575 00:31:41,310 --> 00:31:44,630 S2: into you. So I think that's so beautiful that you're 576 00:31:44,630 --> 00:31:47,110 S2: in an uncle saw that, saw that you needed that, 577 00:31:47,110 --> 00:31:49,950 S2: and they were right there ready to pour out. And 578 00:31:49,950 --> 00:31:51,910 S2: I think we go through seasons where we can pour 579 00:31:51,910 --> 00:31:53,790 S2: out more or pour out less, but I think we 580 00:31:53,790 --> 00:31:57,430 S2: should always be people who are pouring into others as 581 00:31:57,470 --> 00:31:59,670 S2: others pour into us. That's so beautiful. 582 00:32:00,030 --> 00:32:00,470 S3: Yeah. 583 00:32:01,030 --> 00:32:04,150 S1: And to be the kind of person who, you know, 584 00:32:04,190 --> 00:32:06,430 S1: is open to do that, because I think there are 585 00:32:06,430 --> 00:32:09,510 S1: a lot of people who are older now. And this 586 00:32:09,510 --> 00:32:11,550 S1: I don't know if you're a neighbor or your real 587 00:32:11,550 --> 00:32:14,550 S1: neighbor that was down the street that you saw, if 588 00:32:14,550 --> 00:32:16,990 S1: he would have felt this way. But a lot of 589 00:32:16,990 --> 00:32:20,720 S1: people kind of feel pushed aside. They feel invisible in 590 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:25,280 S1: this culture and even in the church, they're they're invisible, 591 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:27,840 S1: you know, because they're not serving in the same ways 592 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:31,840 S1: as they used to. And I want to say, no, God. 593 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:36,240 S1: God has a purpose for every one of us there, right? Uh, 594 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,560 S1: you know, and, and can use us maybe in different 595 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:43,080 S1: ways than we have have been used in the past. 596 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:45,560 S1: But to gain a vision for the way that God 597 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:48,120 S1: wants to use us now is a gift, isn't it? 598 00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:53,080 S2: Absolutely. I think that what you said is so key 599 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,920 S2: that we have become a culture that is just more 600 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:59,760 S2: individualized and, and people maybe aren't as open even to 601 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:04,760 S2: receiving quote unquote advice or encouragement or whatever it might be. And, 602 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:06,760 S2: you know, we spend more time in our backyard instead 603 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:09,280 S2: of our front yard, and we do away with front 604 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:12,560 S2: porches and the rocking chairs and things like that. But 605 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,040 S2: it's so important. It's so important. I, I live in 606 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:17,940 S2: a different city now than I did when I had 607 00:33:17,940 --> 00:33:20,460 S2: the inspiration for this book. But now in my in 608 00:33:20,500 --> 00:33:23,700 S2: my current neighborhood, there's a wonderful elderly neighbor who I 609 00:33:23,700 --> 00:33:27,020 S2: was just chit chatting with recently, and he saw my 610 00:33:27,020 --> 00:33:30,660 S2: son behind me climbing some giant thing. We were at 611 00:33:30,700 --> 00:33:33,620 S2: the we were outside the YMCA and I think he 612 00:33:33,620 --> 00:33:35,780 S2: saw the look of fear on my face. And he 613 00:33:35,780 --> 00:33:39,100 S2: looked at me and he said, don't clip his wings. 614 00:33:39,100 --> 00:33:43,140 S2: Let him be free. If he's not in imminent danger, let. 615 00:33:43,180 --> 00:33:47,460 S2: Leave him alone. And I think about that all the 616 00:33:47,460 --> 00:33:49,820 S2: time now, when my son is doing something crazy, or 617 00:33:49,820 --> 00:33:52,980 S2: even my daughters, if they're climbing or doing something wild 618 00:33:53,180 --> 00:33:55,540 S2: just to not clip their wings. And I and I 619 00:33:55,540 --> 00:33:59,180 S2: think that's such great, wise advice that I wouldn't have 620 00:33:59,180 --> 00:34:01,540 S2: known for myself. It needed to be someone who had 621 00:34:01,540 --> 00:34:05,900 S2: raised three children, three or adults. Now, speaking that into 622 00:34:05,940 --> 00:34:09,140 S2: my life, you know, it's not all just the spiritual stuff, 623 00:34:09,140 --> 00:34:12,300 S2: but just life in general. We need each other. And, 624 00:34:12,300 --> 00:34:14,460 S2: and it's sad that we've lost so many of those 625 00:34:14,460 --> 00:34:17,320 S2: interrelational intergenerational relationships. 626 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:20,759 S1: Kyle, I'm really glad that that was your experience. Thank 627 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:23,080 S1: you for sharing it. Somebody needed to hear that today. 628 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:26,799 S1: Maybe there's some parent who's listening, whose son or daughter 629 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:32,000 S1: is with some kind of addiction. And just Kyle's story 630 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:35,720 S1: there will give them just a sliver of hope that don't, don't, 631 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:38,120 S1: don't hang up on God in the prayer line. You 632 00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:41,839 S1: keep praying, keep storming the gates of heaven. On Facebook, 633 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:44,120 S1: Vicki said this. I have a dear Christian friend who 634 00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:47,839 S1: came to me quickly without my requesting when I lost 635 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:50,840 S1: my adult son and again last summer when I lost 636 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:54,239 S1: my mom. She is most loyal to me, as is 637 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:56,640 S1: her daughter who is like a daughter to me. My 638 00:34:56,640 --> 00:34:59,919 S1: brother also comforted me on both occasions with the loss 639 00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:02,840 S1: of my son. I struggled most with the human feelings 640 00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:06,640 S1: of no one nor nothing can comfort me in this 641 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:11,840 S1: horrendous grief. I felt alone and empty. I was not 642 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:15,570 S1: sure what could fill the hole in my heart. And 643 00:35:15,570 --> 00:35:17,529 S1: she says, one night about a year in, I had 644 00:35:17,530 --> 00:35:20,730 S1: this dream, an experience. It was so real. I was 645 00:35:20,730 --> 00:35:25,050 S1: crying so hard, nothing could comfort me. And I literally 646 00:35:25,050 --> 00:35:28,609 S1: felt God wrap his arms around me so tight. And 647 00:35:28,610 --> 00:35:31,450 S1: I cried and cried for as long as I. I 648 00:35:31,489 --> 00:35:35,530 S1: needed to. And then she goes on from there. But the. 649 00:35:36,130 --> 00:35:38,970 S1: The people with skin on either the flesh and bone 650 00:35:38,969 --> 00:35:41,690 S1: people who can sit down beside you. The thing that 651 00:35:41,690 --> 00:35:46,130 S1: I've heard most say is it wasn't something that they said, 652 00:35:46,370 --> 00:35:49,770 S1: or even something like putting an arm around, which is great, 653 00:35:49,810 --> 00:35:51,810 S1: you know, give me a hug when I'm going through 654 00:35:51,810 --> 00:35:57,290 S1: that trauma. It's just city, it's presence. It's listening to 655 00:35:57,330 --> 00:35:59,770 S1: what I'm talking about. Do you agree with that? 656 00:36:01,130 --> 00:36:06,210 S2: Absolutely. When I experienced the miscarriage, within a few days, 657 00:36:06,210 --> 00:36:08,689 S2: one of my friends who actually hadn't spoken to in 658 00:36:08,690 --> 00:36:11,330 S2: a long time showed up at my door with a 659 00:36:11,370 --> 00:36:14,870 S2: willow tree sculpture of an angel holding a little baby. 660 00:36:15,390 --> 00:36:18,830 S2: And she told me that she had had several miscarriages 661 00:36:18,830 --> 00:36:20,910 S2: at one point in her life, and that her mother 662 00:36:20,910 --> 00:36:24,390 S2: gave her one of those. Because when you have a miscarriage, 663 00:36:24,390 --> 00:36:27,230 S2: especially if it's early, you often don't have any tangible 664 00:36:27,230 --> 00:36:30,029 S2: evidence that that life ever existed other than the pain 665 00:36:30,030 --> 00:36:32,590 S2: that you feel. And so it can be very lonely 666 00:36:32,590 --> 00:36:35,390 S2: because no one else sees it. No one else knows 667 00:36:35,390 --> 00:36:38,229 S2: it like you do. But but when her mother gave 668 00:36:38,230 --> 00:36:41,030 S2: her this sculpture, it was like she finally had something 669 00:36:41,030 --> 00:36:43,430 S2: she could touch and feel and hold and look at, 670 00:36:43,430 --> 00:36:45,550 S2: to remember the life of this child that she wouldn't 671 00:36:45,550 --> 00:36:49,710 S2: have otherwise. And so she wanted to bring that to me. And, 672 00:36:49,710 --> 00:36:51,790 S2: and it wasn't even until she put that into words 673 00:36:51,790 --> 00:36:55,110 S2: that I realized that's what I was feeling. That's, that's 674 00:36:55,270 --> 00:36:56,910 S2: some of the sorrow that I felt was that it 675 00:36:56,910 --> 00:36:59,670 S2: was it was a lonely grief because no one else 676 00:37:00,230 --> 00:37:02,390 S2: lost this life the way that I did. And there's 677 00:37:02,390 --> 00:37:05,270 S2: no evidence that this life existed other than, you know, 678 00:37:05,550 --> 00:37:09,470 S2: for me personally. So I think just being that person 679 00:37:09,469 --> 00:37:12,770 S2: that shows up and and no matter how long it's 680 00:37:12,770 --> 00:37:15,890 S2: been and does something to touch their heart that they 681 00:37:15,890 --> 00:37:19,010 S2: will never forget. Like it's just so beautiful and important 682 00:37:19,010 --> 00:37:20,890 S2: to be that kind of person for someone else. 683 00:37:20,930 --> 00:37:21,330 S3: Yeah. 684 00:37:21,810 --> 00:37:25,770 S1: And a story like this can be a real gift. 685 00:37:25,770 --> 00:37:29,970 S1: It's a gift from Joanna's heart to anybody who reads it, 686 00:37:29,969 --> 00:37:32,650 S1: but also a gift that God gave her. It's coming 687 00:37:32,650 --> 00:37:36,210 S1: back to her in this season of her life as 688 00:37:36,210 --> 00:37:40,170 S1: as a young mom with four children, five and under. 689 00:37:40,210 --> 00:37:43,570 S1: The title of the book is Where Wilted Flowers Bloom. 690 00:37:43,890 --> 00:37:49,930 S1: Her name is Joanna and it's JOHANNA. Joanna Rojas van 691 00:37:50,250 --> 00:37:54,530 S1: featured resource there at the website Chris Fabry live.org. Chris 692 00:37:54,570 --> 00:37:58,930 S1: Fabry live dot ORG. More coming up with Joanna straight 693 00:37:58,930 --> 00:38:12,510 S1: ahead here on Moody Radio. Get your Bible questions ready 694 00:38:12,510 --> 00:38:15,790 S1: for the two Michaels. Doctor. Michael. Doctor. Michael van Landingham. 695 00:38:15,790 --> 00:38:18,790 S1: We're going to be at the back fence tomorrow, so 696 00:38:18,830 --> 00:38:20,910 S1: we want to hear from you right here on Chris 697 00:38:20,950 --> 00:38:24,469 S1: Fabry live. And then on Friday, a really good end 698 00:38:24,469 --> 00:38:27,870 S1: of the week program and a Founder's Week. And that 699 00:38:27,870 --> 00:38:31,270 S1: is the question. What do you have written in your Bible? 700 00:38:31,670 --> 00:38:36,030 S1: What what is written that someone else wrote to you 701 00:38:36,150 --> 00:38:38,549 S1: in your Bible or something that you kind of have 702 00:38:38,550 --> 00:38:41,509 S1: squirreled away from somebody else? We're going to talk about that. 703 00:38:41,510 --> 00:38:43,509 S1: You got to hear the story of a a young 704 00:38:43,510 --> 00:38:46,469 S1: man who went to Moody Bible Institute and what was 705 00:38:46,469 --> 00:38:50,230 S1: written on the inside of his Bible. You'll we'll hear 706 00:38:50,230 --> 00:38:53,630 S1: that on Friday. And remember Founder's Week, we have a 707 00:38:53,630 --> 00:38:57,830 S1: link right there at Chris Fabry live.org. Priscilla Shirer tonight. 708 00:38:57,870 --> 00:39:01,630 S1: Tony Evans tomorrow night. Doctor Melson, the new president of 709 00:39:01,790 --> 00:39:05,430 S1: Moody Bible Institute on Friday evening. Don't miss Founder's Week. 710 00:39:05,670 --> 00:39:09,279 S1: All the rest of this week begins tonight and you 711 00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:12,120 S1: can hear it on some of these moody radio stations 712 00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:16,400 S1: and online as well. Joanna Rojas van has written Where 713 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:22,160 S1: Wilted Flowers Bloom and I Saw You, Joanna, on another podcast. 714 00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:25,280 S1: I went around, I listened, there was something that you 715 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:29,719 S1: said to one of the interviewers and you said this 716 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:33,640 S1: give God a chance to surprise you. You were talking 717 00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:36,600 S1: about your writing. You were talking about the books that, 718 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:40,160 S1: you know, you hadn't planned on writing fiction, but you 719 00:39:40,200 --> 00:39:43,640 S1: gave God the chance to surprise you. Help me understand 720 00:39:43,640 --> 00:39:44,840 S1: what you mean by that. 721 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:50,759 S2: Absolutely. I think the past five years have been surprise 722 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:53,719 S2: after surprise. And. And it started with that first book 723 00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:56,760 S2: with my husband encouraging me to write it, to seek 724 00:39:56,760 --> 00:40:00,359 S2: an agent and an agent saying yes, to seek out 725 00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:03,080 S2: a publisher and a publisher saying yes to seeing that 726 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:06,760 S2: book become a real life book in a bookstore, seeing 727 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:10,580 S2: it when the Christy Award. I mean, it was all 728 00:40:10,620 --> 00:40:13,740 S2: none of it was ever planned. I never studied creative writing. 729 00:40:13,739 --> 00:40:15,940 S2: I never took a class. I never I didn't know 730 00:40:15,940 --> 00:40:19,379 S2: anything about writing fiction, but I think because the Lord 731 00:40:19,380 --> 00:40:22,620 S2: placed him in my life to speak truth over me 732 00:40:22,620 --> 00:40:26,340 S2: and encourage me. And just following that and just continuing 733 00:40:26,380 --> 00:40:30,420 S2: to say yes and, and take faithful step after faithful step. 734 00:40:30,620 --> 00:40:32,899 S2: I feel like God continued to surprise me. He would 735 00:40:32,900 --> 00:40:35,980 S2: open these doors and place people in my life and 736 00:40:35,980 --> 00:40:39,260 S2: make these connections that I would have never, I never 737 00:40:39,260 --> 00:40:43,380 S2: attempted intentionally on my own. It was all like divine intervention. 738 00:40:43,820 --> 00:40:46,180 S2: And so that's kind of that encouragement I was trying 739 00:40:46,180 --> 00:40:48,980 S2: to give was, you know, sometimes it can feel like 740 00:40:48,980 --> 00:40:50,739 S2: this is way out of my league or there's no 741 00:40:50,739 --> 00:40:52,700 S2: way I could ever do this. I can't pursue this 742 00:40:52,700 --> 00:40:55,020 S2: goal or this dream because it's too big or it's 743 00:40:55,020 --> 00:40:58,700 S2: too that I think we are. We're not giving God 744 00:40:58,700 --> 00:41:01,820 S2: enough time or giving him enough credit that he can 745 00:41:01,820 --> 00:41:04,219 S2: do things, you know, if it's in his will, if 746 00:41:04,219 --> 00:41:06,020 S2: he wants that for your life, if you think it's 747 00:41:06,060 --> 00:41:08,640 S2: if he thinks it's good for you, you're not giving 748 00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:11,520 S2: him a chance to surprise you. I look back now 749 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:13,920 S2: and I'm like, oh, I just can't believe it. I 750 00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:16,040 S2: can't believe that all of this has happened. I can't 751 00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:18,640 S2: believe that I got a second publishing deal and that 752 00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:20,680 S2: I have a second book that I get to hold 753 00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:23,480 S2: and share with my family and friends and, and encourage 754 00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:26,080 S2: people in this way. So I think that if I 755 00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:28,080 S2: would have never believed my husband, if I would have 756 00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:30,399 S2: never taken those faithful steps, I would have never been 757 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:32,760 S2: surprised by what God can do to someone like me, 758 00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:36,560 S2: who was raised by two immigrants who never had any 759 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:39,680 S2: money to do anything, who couldn't pursue her journalism career 760 00:41:39,680 --> 00:41:41,759 S2: because she didn't have enough money to live off such 761 00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:44,760 S2: a small salary. You know, all these things like it 762 00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:47,760 S2: should have never happened for me, but it did because 763 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:49,680 S2: the Lord wanted it to and because I gave him 764 00:41:49,680 --> 00:41:52,360 S2: the I gave him, I opened my hands and said, fine, 765 00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:54,120 S2: let's see what you can do and what you want 766 00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:56,760 S2: to do with this. So that's what I mean by 767 00:41:56,800 --> 00:41:59,520 S2: let God surprise you and amaze you. 768 00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:02,120 S1: Surrender. Surrender. It comes. 769 00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:02,759 S3: Yes. 770 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:04,880 S1: Okay. I want you to hear this story from Facebook. 771 00:42:04,969 --> 00:42:07,570 S1: Marcia says. I was a senior in high school baking 772 00:42:07,570 --> 00:42:12,969 S1: cookies on the night of. For the next night's homecoming, refreshments. 773 00:42:13,290 --> 00:42:15,730 S1: When we received the word that my grandmother had been 774 00:42:15,730 --> 00:42:18,970 S1: hit by a car crossing the street in mom's home 775 00:42:18,969 --> 00:42:23,530 S1: town and she was killed. My normally decisive mother ceased 776 00:42:23,530 --> 00:42:28,010 S1: to function sensibly. My father was trying to just stay supportive, 777 00:42:28,450 --> 00:42:32,129 S1: so I stepped up and started making our plans. It 778 00:42:32,130 --> 00:42:34,850 S1: might have been my entry into young adulthood. A dear 779 00:42:34,850 --> 00:42:38,170 S1: friend of our family was suddenly at our house. We 780 00:42:38,170 --> 00:42:43,370 S1: never knew how she found out. This was 1976. So 781 00:42:43,370 --> 00:42:47,170 S1: this is 50 years ago. And she's answering. See? If 782 00:42:47,210 --> 00:42:49,970 S1: you hadn't come on this, you haven't been faithful to 783 00:42:50,010 --> 00:42:52,089 S1: what your husband called out to you and done the 784 00:42:52,090 --> 00:42:55,730 S1: hard work. We'd never gotten this response from Marcia from 785 00:42:55,730 --> 00:42:58,250 S1: 50 years ago. And she said, this friend of the 786 00:42:58,250 --> 00:43:01,450 S1: family gave my mom a long hug and then took 787 00:43:01,450 --> 00:43:04,190 S1: over baking those cookies. I will never forget what a 788 00:43:04,190 --> 00:43:08,030 S1: comfort it was that she stepped in and quietly baked 789 00:43:08,030 --> 00:43:11,190 S1: those cookies, and I'm sure, a whole lot more. There's 790 00:43:11,190 --> 00:43:15,230 S1: something about that presence of that friend who, quote unquote, 791 00:43:15,270 --> 00:43:19,029 S1: just showed up. That speaks volumes, doesn't it? 792 00:43:19,750 --> 00:43:22,549 S2: Absolutely. I think I think about Sandra's mom in the 793 00:43:22,550 --> 00:43:25,670 S2: book and the way she quietly shows up and cooks 794 00:43:25,670 --> 00:43:29,710 S2: food and feeds people, feeds Sandra when she's sad, feeds 795 00:43:29,710 --> 00:43:33,630 S2: the sister. Um, yeah, it's it's beautiful to be that, 796 00:43:33,630 --> 00:43:35,629 S2: that person that, you know, you don't have to have 797 00:43:35,630 --> 00:43:37,150 S2: a bunch of words. You don't have to have the 798 00:43:37,150 --> 00:43:40,989 S2: perfect present to give or the, the perfect poem to 799 00:43:41,030 --> 00:43:44,109 S2: read or whatever. It's just about your presence showing up 800 00:43:44,110 --> 00:43:47,469 S2: and being that calming, peaceful presence to someone is beautiful. 801 00:43:48,870 --> 00:43:51,709 S1: What did you learn? Because this is a huge part 802 00:43:51,710 --> 00:43:56,790 S1: of the novel, is Sandra goes along to her neighbor, 803 00:43:56,950 --> 00:43:59,710 S1: his garden, and there's a bench out there, and you 804 00:43:59,710 --> 00:44:02,649 S1: learn why this bench is important to him and the 805 00:44:02,650 --> 00:44:05,170 S1: loss that he has been through. Did you learn anything 806 00:44:05,170 --> 00:44:08,130 S1: about gardening that you didn't know before you started writing this? 807 00:44:09,050 --> 00:44:12,330 S2: So much, so much about gardening and plants, houseplants and 808 00:44:12,330 --> 00:44:14,250 S2: things like that. I, I'm actually I don't have a 809 00:44:14,250 --> 00:44:16,009 S2: green thumb. I don't garden and I don't have a 810 00:44:16,010 --> 00:44:18,170 S2: lot of plants. I have about three that are struggling. 811 00:44:18,530 --> 00:44:21,330 S2: And funny enough, I, you know, my husband, I talk 812 00:44:21,370 --> 00:44:24,170 S2: about him too much, probably, but it was his idea 813 00:44:24,170 --> 00:44:28,650 S2: for this character to have this lush, beautiful, thriving garden. 814 00:44:28,650 --> 00:44:31,050 S2: And it didn't even show up in the manuscript until 815 00:44:31,050 --> 00:44:34,009 S2: a very late version, if you can believe it. Because 816 00:44:34,050 --> 00:44:36,489 S2: looking back now, I'm like, I can't imagine this book 817 00:44:36,489 --> 00:44:39,890 S2: without this garden. And yet it was this was a 818 00:44:39,890 --> 00:44:42,050 S2: book without a garden for a very long time until 819 00:44:42,050 --> 00:44:44,810 S2: my husband randomly one night we were talking through the 820 00:44:44,810 --> 00:44:46,969 S2: story and he said, what if he was a gardener? 821 00:44:47,250 --> 00:44:52,649 S2: And I immediately thought, yes, absolutely. God was the first gardener. Right. 822 00:44:52,650 --> 00:44:55,210 S2: And he plays he kind of mirrors the image of 823 00:44:55,210 --> 00:44:57,450 S2: Christ in this book. His name is Mark in the book, 824 00:44:57,770 --> 00:45:00,410 S2: and he's a picture of what Christ is like in 825 00:45:00,410 --> 00:45:03,110 S2: our lives. He is a. He's a gardener. He's gentle. 826 00:45:03,510 --> 00:45:07,390 S2: He makes things grow. He makes beautiful things out of nothing. 827 00:45:07,670 --> 00:45:12,150 S2: He gently leads us toward his heart and. And so 828 00:45:12,190 --> 00:45:13,830 S2: I did have to learn so much that I didn't 829 00:45:13,830 --> 00:45:17,390 S2: know before like that. Roses don't have thorns. They have. 830 00:45:17,510 --> 00:45:20,630 S2: What is it? Thistles. I've already forgotten. I'm sleep deprived. 831 00:45:21,910 --> 00:45:24,710 S2: But I was using the wrong word, you know, and 832 00:45:24,710 --> 00:45:27,270 S2: I had a wonderful editor. You know, I had sunflowers 833 00:45:27,270 --> 00:45:29,270 S2: in the book at one point and she said, mm, 834 00:45:29,510 --> 00:45:32,310 S2: sunflowers wouldn't be blooming yet. And, and so I'm so 835 00:45:32,310 --> 00:45:35,830 S2: thankful for editors who forced me to do even deeper research. 836 00:45:35,830 --> 00:45:39,390 S2: But it was, it was a lot, a lot of learning. And, 837 00:45:39,390 --> 00:45:42,109 S2: and I look forward to one day putting that to 838 00:45:42,150 --> 00:45:43,509 S2: use in my own backyard. 839 00:45:43,870 --> 00:45:46,390 S1: There was someone who wrote a review and they included 840 00:45:46,390 --> 00:45:49,950 S1: a quote from the book that says, the two continue 841 00:45:49,950 --> 00:45:54,790 S1: to coexist in my life, my grief and his peace. 842 00:45:55,230 --> 00:45:58,310 S1: And this is echoed throughout the people who are answering 843 00:45:58,310 --> 00:46:02,840 S1: on Facebook. There is a. The grief is there. The grief. 844 00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:06,280 S1: God does not take the grief away, but he gives 845 00:46:06,280 --> 00:46:09,120 S1: his peace in the midst of it, and he walks 846 00:46:09,120 --> 00:46:13,759 S1: with us through that. And, uh, I can't thank you enough, Joanna, 847 00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:17,239 S1: for writing this book, for pouring your heart into it. 848 00:46:17,239 --> 00:46:19,600 S1: And I hope you'll do it again and come back. Okay. 849 00:46:20,080 --> 00:46:21,880 S2: Oh, thank you, Chris, I appreciate it. 850 00:46:22,640 --> 00:46:25,640 S1: The title of the book is Where Wilted Flowers Bloom. 851 00:46:25,640 --> 00:46:29,759 S1: It's a novel by Joanna Rojas. Van featured resource at 852 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:36,080 S1: Chris Fabry live.org. Chris fabry.org. Get your Bible open and 853 00:46:36,080 --> 00:46:38,960 S1: ready for the two. Michaels are coming back tomorrow right 854 00:46:38,960 --> 00:46:42,319 S1: here on Chris Fabry live production of Moody Radio, a 855 00:46:42,320 --> 00:46:45,360 S1: Ministry of Moody Bible Institute. And you can go to 856 00:46:45,400 --> 00:46:48,000 S1: the Facebook page and ask a question right now of 857 00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:50,960 S1: the two Michaels do that. Chris Fabry live dot.