But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

(Proverbs 4:18)

Have you ever faced a time when life as you knew it was no longer the same? Testimonies that emerge after life-altering events are often the most compelling. Let us dive into a couple of powerful examples.

In her book One Light Still Shines, Marie Roberts Monville recounts the catastrophic events that took place in 2006, in an unexpected setting, a one-room Amish Schoolhouse. That is where Marie’s husband shot and killed five girls, seriously injuring five others, before turning the gun on himself, ending his own life.

While it is a tragic story filled with sorrow, it is also a compelling testimony of compassion, forgiveness, and grace. It took a mere moment for this young wife and mother to realize that life, as she knew it, was over. There would come a testing of her faith, with questions regarding all she believed about herself, her marriage, and her God.

Yet, through the darkness, the light still shone, and the power of Christ was revealed in her life and within the life of the community.

Amazingly, two groups of people attended her husband’s funeral. The first group is not surprising; it was family and friends. The second was a group of around 30 men and women from the Amish community whose children had been murdered or injured.

Sociologist and college professor Donald Kraybill remarked that “The most powerful demonstration of the depth of Amish forgiveness was when members of the Amish community went to the killer’s burial service… several families, Amish families who had buried their daughters just the day before, were in attendance and they hugged the widow and hugged other members of the killer’s family.” It was also reported that this Amish community had donated money to cover expenses, including funeral costs.

This is a testimony of “life as she knew it” that spoke to my heart on the issue of forgiveness.

The next story is about a friend of mine, who was quite suddenly taken home to be with our Lord. Her name is Gladys. This name suited her very well because being in her presence made my heart glad. Gladys had to journey through a “life as she knew it” grief walk. Her journey of forgiveness is another “the light still shines through” story.

I met Gladys when our eyes connected across the church foyer, and we introduced ourselves. Our friendship began and lasted a much shorter time than I expected. Gladys was almost 20 years my senior, but you would never have guessed. She was full of life, vitality, joy, and exuberance, yet there was a layer of sorrow beneath the sparkle in her eyes. You see, my friend had experienced a life-altering moment, a second in time she described as a tsunamic event.

Gladys had two children, Colin and Carol, twins, aged 47. On a bright autumn day, October 6th, 2012, while travelling together to their grandfather’s 99th birthday celebration, an impaired driver hit them, injuring them both. Carol succumbed to her injuries.

In a victim impact statement, Gladys shared from her heart, “The pain I feel at my loss is continuous and palpable. I feel emotionally destabilized. Only time will tell how Carol’s sudden, senseless, and tragically painful death – how her bleeding to death on a public road with only sufficient time and consciousness to send messages via a stranger before losing consciousness – only time will tell what the lasting impact will be on me, on family members and on others who knew and loved her. I still cannot believe that she’s gone. She is permanently absent from my life … gone too soon. Carol was my champion, my greatest supporter, my caretaker, my advisor … she was a daughter who loved me unconditionally … she was the greatest love of my life.”

Gladys went on to say, “Though she was snatched away from us, her ability to invest in the lives of others endures. Her ability to invest in my life could not be better demonstrated than in her message to me as she was losing consciousness, realizing her life was slipping away … her poignantly worded request … “If I don’t make it, tell my mother I love her and I will see her soon.”

Then, by the grace of God, standing before a judge and the convicted driver, Gladys said, “So today at this fork in my road of life, I begin by taking the most difficult path of extending my hand of forgiveness. Carol’s last words before dying were the Lord’s prayer in which Jesus instructed us to pray to God for the forgiveness of our sins … as we are expected to forgive those who sin against us.”

Gladys finished by saying something she reiterated many times, “We are just a heartbeat away from eternity.” She lived a life of great passion, contributing tirelessly to the cause of MADD before the Lord took her home to be with Him.

What Gladys taught me was that when “life as we knew it” is no more, there is hope. The greatest hope we have is in the knowledge of our Saviour, who heals our shattered hearts. “The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

He also gives us the grace and the will to forgive, because of His sacrifice on the cross. Both healing and forgiveness take time. We cannot do this in our strength but only by the power of His Spirit flowing through us. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

While I have experienced the loss of many loved ones, the “life as I knew it” event that tested my faith, trust, and hope was the loss of my 37-year marriage. It was a heartbreaking journey for my family to process. By the merciful grace and sweetness that comes from God’s Holy Spirit, the passage of time has allowed a measure of healing, and forgiveness has been offered.

There is nothing in this world that takes God by surprise. As hard as that can be to understand at times, it’s also very comforting to know that in those “life as we knew it” moments, God is there, and He does and will see us through.

So, be encouraged and tell your story, because often what seems intended to harm us will ultimately be used for good and will bring God glory. We can share our tragic and broken stories and be comforted as we recall God’s faithfulness. By sharing, we see that through our “life as we knew it” moments, the light still shines through – that light is Jesus.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. … So, we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

- (2 Corinthians 4: 7-10, 16-18)

Susan Page is the daughter of the King, His beloved child, wonderfully forgiven and blessed! Susan longs to age gracefully, becoming more like Jesus as she seeks the hidden treasures revealed to her through Scripture, literature, the arts, humankind, and nature.