Skip to main content

The Other Side

Thank you for your patience and prayers as I have taken time to process through the unexpected loss of my dad in April. These last several months have been a season of growth for me, and I have spent a lot of time in prayer. What I know is my Heavenly Father has never left me, and He carries me, even now, as I step back into writing regularly.

God has been dealing with me about not lingering in the season of mourning. As a family, we have dealt with so much loss since 2020, so I thought a good portion of my mission was to encourage those who are struggling with grief. But God has reminded me that grief is not permanent. It’s a season, but He carries us to the other side of it. 

Does this mean I won’t have moments of missing my loved ones? Absolutely not. But I cannot continue to miss out on life because I am mourning a loss on earth. It’s time to wash my face and keep moving forward.

I’m not just unbroken and undone in my calling. God is moving me to more. There is more to this abundant life than just being “fixed.” Now that God has mended my heart, it’s time to focus on pointing people to Him.

So this is what it means to be MORE THAN UNBROKEN. Jesus has brought me through to the other side. In His arms, I am safe, loved, and cherished. I have a purpose that is higher than me and the limits of my mind. I’m not sure where God wants to take me, but I’m ready for whatever He has and will do it with my whole heart.

It is with sincere gratitude that I return to what He called me to back in 2020: sharing my heart with authenticity. Thank you for joining me on the journey.

Smiles, 

Jill

© 2024 Jill Cook. All rights reserved.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Feelings and Faith

Vulnerable moment: it’s been a crazy week. If I’m being honest, the last six months or more have been wrought with uncertainty and so many questions within myself about my purpose.  I’ve been in a season of transition in our family with adapting to having an independent adult child and an independent teenage son-both of whom are thriving. So my purpose as a mom has shifted into steadfast support and guidance from a distance rather than rushing to the rescue, which I know is where we should be with them. This shift has adjusted our marriage. Lyndon and I are both learning how to navigate this new territory, and I’m so grateful we have each other.  My Daddy died suddenly last year, and I am still grieving the unexpected loss and what could have been. Grief is a strange journey and differs for everyone. What I know is Christ gives me the most profound peace when I feel my turbulent heart trying to sway me. But it certainly is a sadness that is layered. Because of these major life...
Post a Comment
Read more

Praise Anyway

This has been a difficult week for many reasons. At the start of the week, I was struggling to justify why I must remain patient before moving into the full calling of Unbroken and Undone and all that God has given me vision for.  It was only a week ago that I was crying with my mom and sister about not understanding why it seems like some people are able to move so easily into their calling while, for me, it has felt like my years of ministry and serving have been more of a slow crawl and constant waiting for doors to open. My sister made a remark about how hard it must have been for Abraham and Sarah to wait in their promise. I was reminded that when they tried to do things their own way, Ishmael was the result. This same sweet sister of mine has been a foster mom now for nine months. We have loved every little that has come into our lives, and it has transformed my understanding of the heart of God for us. At the end of the day, though, my sister and her husband want to adopt a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

He’s Already Heard My Prayer

This is one of the most difficult pieces to write. My dad, Steve, passed away this morning unexpectedly. He was the “Music Man” in my world who made life a song.  Daddy was responsible for putting me on the stage. At two years old, he stood me on the altar at church so everyone could watch me sing “Victory in Jesus.”   At twelve, he was teaching me how to set up equipment and mix sound. As a teenager, we wrote songs together. His love of music is so deeply ingrained in me that I feel a piece of that is somehow missing now. Things were not always great between me and Daddy. In fact, we went for a long time without having contact with one another. I’m so grateful that God restored our relationship in his final years. Neither one of us were perfect in our relationship, but I always loved him deeply. So today, I’m heartbroken. Memories are flooding my mind, and there are so many things I still wanted us to share. I know the coming days will be filled with waves of grief and the st...
Post a Comment
Read more