Our Guest: Jill Warnecke
Jill has held on to God through deep trials and confidently encourages others to trust Him and His character. She and her husband Steve have been married for over 35 years. They have raised 4 sons, homeschooling them from time to time; and are active members of their local church serving and discipling others to trust in the Lord. Jill and her family live in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Key Thoughts and Scriptures:
“Lament is how you live between the poles of a hard life and trusting in God’s sovereignty. Lament is how we bring our sorrow to God. Without lament, we won’t know how to process pain.” – Mark Vroegop, Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy
- Often God chooses to work through our pain, building trust in Him and forming the character of Christ in us.
Philippians 3:10-11 NIV I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Romans 5:3-5 NIV Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
- Over time, Jill learned how to communicate her faith in a gracious, loving way.
John 10:10 NIV The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
When unexpected tragedy struck Jill’s family:
- “I don’t understand all of God’s sovereignty.”
1 Corinthians 2:11 NIV For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
- Jill responded kindly with grace and scripture in the midst of her grief.
Hebrews 13:5 NIV …God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
- She intentionally tried not to pull away from people or to isolate herself.
- Jill also continued to go to Bible studies, be in the Word, and talk about the pain.
- Have fellowship with others where you can actually share, “I’m not doing well today.”
- Because grief is with you forever. You have to learn to grow with the grief, but not with despair.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 NIV Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
- “I had hope, even though the grief was severe and learned how to lament.”
- Wailing is a real release. And it was groanings that had to come out because it was just so deep.
Lamentations 3:20-26 NIV …my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope…
- “That’s a willful act on my part. So I’m in my grief, I don’t feel any different. But this I will call to mind.”
Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
Jill trained herself to speak her lamentations to the Lord.
- Not as a declaration about herself, but revealing her heart to God, saying, “God, this is where I’m at.”
- “God knows all things. He knows my thoughts. So the verbalization of it as a lament was very important in my healing.”
- She knew she always had to follow up with, “I have hope because of Who You are.”
- “‘You are kind, you are merciful, you know all things, you see all things.’ And then I’d spend even more time feeling completely refreshed and healed. And that continued for years.”
- Each time the process would happen through the years, there was more hope.
- “It’s not an option not to endure. I will because you’re with me.”
Psalm 51:12 NIV Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
- There was joy in the midst of it, even in the hospital room, because Jill had joy in her salvation.
- The joy and sorrow mingled.
Nehemiah 8:10 NIV …the joy of the Lord is your strength.
By that time, Jill learned to trust in the Lord and could be an example to her kids.
- “We wanted lists, wanted everybody to tell us what to do. I know we had great friends that would say, ‘Nope, you gotta pray and ask God yourself. I can’t give you a list.’”
- Every kid learns differently. They’ll get it. And if they don’t get it right away, it’s okay. Don’t be fearful of it.
- God showed His faithfulness to Jill through her cancer diagnosis.
- JIll saw God take even that hard place and use it for good in her life.
- She was very confident that she was in God’s hands and her days were numbered by Him.
Psalm 39:4 NLT …Remind me that my days are numbered…
- “There’s many things in my life where I’m not sure why. And I’m comfortable with that.”
- Trust the Lord. He is faithful.
- Focus on who God is and all of His attributes.
Psalm 18:2 NIV The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Hebrews 6:19 NIV We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Romans 8:28-39 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose…
- So that’s why you have joy in the middle of it.
Sarah’s story
- Sarah made mistakes. And she didn’t always say the right things.
- God’s faithfulness continued with Sarah and Abraham even in the midst of all the questioning.
- He picks weak people. And He knows we’re gonna make mistakes. So He’s prepared to help us through even those.
- Often in the middle of our pain and confusion, it’s hard to imagine what good could possibly come from it because we’re trapped in time. But God sees the whole picture.
- And if we let Him, He’ll begin to show us His eternal perspective.
“You need to know that lament does not always lead to an immediate solution. It does not always bring a quick or timely answer. Grief is not tame. Lament is not a simplistic formula. Instead, lament is the song you sing believing that one day God will answer and restore. Lament invites us to pray through our struggle with a life that is far from perfect.” – Mark Vroegop, Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy
Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Links:
Books:
- Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop
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