By Victoria Ostrosky
Tragedy is always an unwelcome visitor. Typically unexpected, and not requested; but often the catalyst for experiencing an intimate, soul-changing participation in God’s infinite love. All through the Bible – both the Old and New Testaments, God continuously reveals His love, His desire for relationship and His holiness. From Abraham, the Friend of God; Moses, with whom God spoke face to face; to David, a man after God’s own heart, and Daniel, a man dearly loved, and bridging to the New Testament – John, the Beloved Disciple; Peter, the Rock; Paul, ‘the chiefest of sinners’, and today, you and me.
When Jesus gave the invitation, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” (Matthew 11:28) He meant it. He tenderly cares for His sheep, leading them safely and binding up their wounds.
Stephanie McMinn can attest to the pain of tragedy and balm of healing, as she explains, “In loss is when we discover who God is – His presence and realness. It’s hard to consider it loss when you gain so much in the middle of it.”
Back in 2011, Chance, Stephanie’s husband, was drawn back into addiction. Their blended family of 5 children was falling apart. While partying one night with friends, he fell from a fourth story balcony, ending up with a traumatic brain injury and extensive broken bones. Stephanie brought elders from her church to the hospital room where his doctors expressed little hope. There they laid hands on him and prayed. “I remember kneeling beside his bed and asking God – ‘what can I do with this’? He gave me a vision of Jesus who said – ‘I need you to do what I did and forgive.’ I learned from the One who went before us and set an example. I forgave Chance in the moment and my interior world changed.”
Stephanie learned a vitally important lesson that is so difficult – that forgiveness is a key. “I needed that unlocked within me. I had a decision to make fulfilling my vow. God allowed me to see Him as my everything. Me in Him and Him in me. I gained so much.”
Not too many years later, tragedy walked back into her life and this time the pain was excruciating. Her son, Gage, a follower of Jesus who had struggled with addiction over the years, was given Percocet laced with a fatal dose of Fentanyl. She decided to head to the morgue, lay hands on her son, and believe that God would raise him up. “Interesting, I remember, it was a holiday weekend and I went to Pensacola to the morgue and it was closed.” A Medical Examiner, though, was in the building and let Stephanie and her interceding friends in. “I told her, just go back there and say the name ‘Jesus’ and He can raise him up. I had three days to pray and believe for him to be raised up like Lazarus. I got the phone call that Tuesday morning.” The Medical Examiner told her, “I’m so sorry that I can’t tell you what you want to hear.”
For Stephanie, God has taught her over the years that “grief is actually a gift. Grieving is almost an invitation to the Comforter and Counselor to come and help my heart.” We can easily forget in the dark well of our grief, that Jesus not only understands and cares, but that He is sufficiently able to render the aid we need in full.
As Stephanie so beautifully says, “Press in to your Heavenly Father. There’s learning in the leaning.”
Stephanie is the Founder and Executive Director of BeGenerous, a non-profit, Christ-honoring organization reaching out to men and women coming out of substance abuse and sexual exploitation. You can find out more by visiting BeGenerousInc.org.
You can also hear Stephanie McMinn’s entire remarkable interview, and listen to many other incredible stories on the weekly Road to Redemption radio show and podcast at www.rtrdestiny.com.
Author: Sowal Editor
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