204. Losing a Child Isn't the Last Word with Diana Grounds

Diana Grounds is one of my heroes. As a parent, she has endured more trials and challenges than most of us ever will. Yet, she is still filled with the joy of Jesus like very few people I have ever known and she is one of the best examples of keeping hope and faith through it all. Show Highlights Diana Grounds is a mother of four children, two of which have proceeded her to heaven. She and Charles, her husband of 53 years, have followed Jesus through the death of one son to leukemia, another daughter to a heart condition, the brain aneurysms of a third child, and a terrifying path of drugs and rebellion for a forth child. Diana’s hope in Jesus radiates through her severe trials. She has served in various roles at Fellowship Baptist Church in Barboursville, WV, and is a national speaker with the Christian Women’s Connection. Through everything Diana had been through with each of her children, she finally came to realize: "I have to take God at his word." Trust in Him and lift up to Him what we have no control over. Clinging to the words in the Bible, she learned, "I did not have to be afraid because He is God. I don't have to be dismayed or discouraged because He is my God." God will provide the strength and help you need. Just experiencing one of these challenges is overwhelming enough, but the difficult situations strengthened Diana's faith in God's promises. "I could praise the Lord even with our son and daughters' illnesses." It was harder to deal with her eldest daughter becoming addicted to drugs because she felt somehow responsible for it as a parent. To overcome this, Diana actively looked for ways to help her daughter towards recovery. She ended up having her daughter arrested and committed to a home. It was a difficult decision to make, but a necessary one. "I was able to place her in God's care, expecting Him to accomplish what I couldn't." Knowing that God could do what she could not released a lot of guilt from Diana as a mother. No parent wants to – or should – have to bury their own child. Diana had to bury two. Still, she has also witnessed big and small moments of God's blessings. "His grace is sufficient." [bctt tweet="I could praise the Lord even with our son and daughters' illnesses." username="jaydholland"] Resources Mentioned Sponsor Affiliate: Christian Parenting Website: http://www.christianwomenconnection.org If you find this podcast helpful, you can subscribe  and click here to find past topics and free resources. Feel free to share with others, as well! If you would like to help support Let’s Parent on Purpose, you can do so by becoming a patron. I send a weekly email called “Things for Thursday” and it includes things I’ve found helpful related to parenting, marriage, and sometimes just things I find funny! You can sign up for “Things for Thursday” by joining my newsletter on my homepage. Thank you for your continued support of this podcast. If you have a prayer request or if you have a topic suggestion or question, please contact me at my email.