Coach’s Corner Contents DEVINE GLORY MAGAZINE - SUMMER 2014 - VOL.2, ISSUE 1 Coach’s Corner .......................................................2 Rough Diamond .....................................................3 Black Pearls ..............................................................4 Ready Writers ..........................................................5 A New Kind of Shepherd .....................................6 Moments of Ministry ..............................................8 Poets & Prose ..........................................................8 Beyond Borders .....................................................9 Bright Lights ......................................................... 12 All things DO work together By Andrea Conigliaro Frondorf W e all experience loss in some way in our lives and it’s never easy. What happens when you lose someone you love? Or lose a job? Or your bank account? Or a best friend? Or a marriage? Loss is so challenging to deal with because when we lose something, we feel an empty place within our heart. We’re often so broken & feel as if we’re floundering through life, that healing can seem to be off in the unreachable distance. We often experience that “hole” that doesn’t feel natural because we were created to feel complete & full. When we experience a “hole,” we often begin to try to fill it with “something,” sometimes anything, just to experience a contentment of sorts. However, if we can learn to fill it with God, we can endure the loss and actually heal, becoming stronger in Him! When we long for “the good life,” a completely full life, it’s hard to comprehend that God wouldn’t want the best for us too, right? And I believe He does! However, that doesn’t mean we get to experience the fullness without dealing first with some of the empty spaces. In Romans 8:28 we read that “All things God works for the good of those who love him & have been called according to his purpose.” All things. This means that even when you hurt, even when you lose someone you love, even when your world falls apart – God can take all of it and use it for good; the good of knowing Him more intimately. When I lost my mom 24 years ago I felt my world ended. There was a gigantic emptiness that only God could fill; unfortunately, I didn’t get to know Him for many years. I lived filling the empty places with everything I could just to try to feel “complete” in some way. My mother had always been my rock, my hope, my comfort, my friend. When she was gone, I was lost. A few years later, I lost my best friend in a car accident. A few years later I lost a baby at 11 weeks pregnant and went through the D&C alone. A few years later I lost my marriage. A few months later I lost my job. I could go on & on with all the major losses I have experienced in my life. I was lost as I experienced loss. It wasn’t until I met Jesus, though, that He started putting the pieces back together again. He used all of these losses to draw me closer to Him. Even though the losses were huge, the love and strength I gained were immeasurably bigger! Jesus shows up when there is no hope. He fills empty holes with goodness, mercy, compassion and most importantly, love. He always hears us, always knows what’s going on with us, always loves us. Sometimes, it takes the loss to be filled with the only thing that really matters – Jesus. And in experiencing His fullness, our loss lessens. It may not go away completely, but He is working everything together for the GOOD. There is power & strength in Knowing and Believing Him. We all have a choice when dealing with the many losses in life: you can build your house on sinking sand and struggle, or build it on THE ROCK and stand! Blessings! ~ Drea
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