I shared a few weeks ago about how I have overcome loss in my life on my blog entitled:   What will define you?  Your pain or your purpose?  https://theunstoppablelife.me/2012/08/20/what-will-defi…r-your-purpose/

In that post, I talked about how I overcame many losses in my life from: an abusive marriage to losing my “so-called” identity while having my active boys 14 months apart, to losing my first-born son from a brain tumor last December. I shared how at some point, either your pain or your healing will define you.  I want to elaborate on practically how that happened for me.

There comes a point when you come to a transition in your painful situation.  There is a transition time and point.  This is the time after you have gone through the natural stages of grief and have mourned the reality of the deep loss that you have experienced.  It is critical to grieve appropriately in your own time, but there does come a transition point where it’s time to heal properly.  This crossroad in your grief can define how you respond for the rest of your life – Cynical or Hopeful.

I came to a point when I realized that I could never bring Joseph back to earth and I had to decide how I was going to respond to that realization.  Was I going to be stuck? Was I going to be negative, doubtful, and cynical the rest of my life?  I knew that I couldn’t change that I was going to live the rest of my life here on earth without him with me.  I decided to place my hope and heart in heaven and try to help and encourage as many other people as I was able to! This was a game-changer for me!

As I began to step out and help other families who were battling for their child’s life or who have lost a child, I began to heal and get stronger in my heart!  As I lifted my eyes to heaven and decided that I was going to kick the enemy’s butt for the rest of my life,  joy and purpose came to me!  I can now see a bigger picture!

Since starting Hope4Joseph Foundation last December, we have had the privilege of helping over 2o families and have also given away tons of resources to families fighting for their children.  This was definitely something that I never thought that I would be apart of.  I never thought that this would fall into my lap, but it did!

God is healing my heart and am now more full of faith than before Joseph went to heaven.  I am serious!  I am not just trying to write a good blog!  I eagerly look to the future and am excited to see what God is going to do next.  Helping others is truly a huge part in how you heal!”

“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”  Luke 9:24  (New Living Translation)

Is it time for you to start helping others in spite of your painful situation?  Only you know when that time is.  The first step is the hardest, but once you start, healing and joy will fill your heart!

I love you,

Joy

Check out more at http://www.hope4joseph.org/