Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Jennifer Sands

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2011, Jennifer whispered the same prayer she said every morning as she watched her husband Jim, leave for his job on the 103rd floor in Tower One of the World Trade Center:
Jennifer & Ferree, July 23, 2011
Montrose Christian Writers Conference

Please, God get him to work safely, and bring him home safely, too. He's everything in the world to me, and I love him so much. So please, Lord, watch over him.

She never saw him again. (I'm crying as I type this).

I had the great privilege of hearing Jennifer speak about the things God's done in her life since that day--her new relationship with Him and the salvation He's brought through her grief and devastating circumstances. I wrote down some of her words to share with you.

A broken heart is not healed by explanation, but by the love and grace of God.

There's a distinction between what we want to know and what we need to know. Instead of asking Why?, ask, What are You trying to teach me, Lord?

On the basis of what I do know about God, I can trust Him with what I don't know.

And about her bout with breast cancer four years ago, she said:

God will not allow a trial to come upon us unless He has a plan for blessing to far outweigh the pain.

I just finished reading Jennifer's first book, A Tempered Faith, so I can tell you she didn't always flow with faith and encouraging words. In A Tempered Faith, she describes her anger during the months that followed 9/11, and I know many widows can relate to these words of hers:

So my anger boiled over for months. I took this very personally. I refused to go to church anymore. I didn't pray anymore.
Instead I cursed Him. Snarled at Him. Spat at Him. Even gave God the finger.

What brought her from anger at God in 2001 to adoration of God in 2011?

Check out the video below for her answer to that question, and if you'd like to get to know her better, visit her website, http://www.jennifersands.com/ and her Facebook page. I love her dearly, and I think you will, too.
ferree

1 comment:

  1. Her comment about how she realized that by being mad at God meant she had to believe in him hit home for me. Well said. She seems like an amazing woman!

    ReplyDelete

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