To say that we have walked grief is an understatement. My heart is heavy with the burdens of my widowed friends and their children. My heart is heavy for the family that will lose their loved one the day that we’re rejoicing the prolonged life of ours.
But in this season, I have learned this phrase taken from Daniel “…And if not, He is still good.” It has been my anthem.
Even if love is stripped away. Even if disease riddles our body. Even if healing in this life never comes…
He is good. He is good. He is good.
My heart is heavier with this truth than the burdens I carry. It is filled up, overflowing, bleeding out this marvelous, wonderful, hopeful truth, pumping it to every vein and artery of my life.
I picked up the story of Chuck and Lillian again and saw it with new eyes.
Forgiveness is hard. Grief is complicated. It’s a sacred space for the believer. A place of raw dependency on the Lord that has matched no other time in my life. And, according to my dear and wonderful friends, they are in a deeper place than before.
Grief changes everything. It changes relationships. Changes our faith. Changes our point of view completely. I rewrote Chuck’s story trying to capture the complexity of this. I’m still not sure I got it right, but the effort was sincere.
No matter where you are—grief-stricken or full of shame—He is bigger. He is good. And He is for you.
You are the treasure.
He bought the field to acquire the Bride.
You, beloved, are His bride.
Bask in His love of you. You were made through Him for His good pleasure and He delights in you.
In His Unfathomable love,
B. Riehl
Acknowledgments
Abba Father. What can I say about the way You have carried us this year? Or about how You led me down different paths to find this story? Your love is astounding. What am I that You care about me? You Who created the stars and all their splendor…You give me bits of a story and help me to weave them. I am humbled and thankful.
For the women that came beside me in my own shame and regret—Mom, Katie, Adrian, Joanna, Jeni, Kathy, Jacki, and so many others in a thousand little ways. Thank you.
For my wonderful hero, Richard. The way you care for our family and make us laugh and lead us in truth is a miraculous gift from our Savior. I am so incredibly thankful for—and madly in love with—you.
Sweet daughters, thank you for making me laugh. For your sweet hugs and smiles as I write. For waiting through the long “book mode” days. I love you dearly, my darlings. You are my joy.
Thank you, Dad—again—for all your help on this project. And for your support.
Mom, thank you for your love and encouragement. You’re my favorite mama. And not just because you’re my only one.
Thank you, author/editor extraordinaire Venessa Knizley, for your tips, notes, and encouragement. I love our “I’ll make this short” phone calls that stretch on for hours. I had a blast working on this book with you. Hooray for old college friendships that turn out even better in the adult years.
Thank you, Angela, for reading my books and for being just as swoony over Chuck as I am. And for the funny GIFs when I needed them. Love you so much, my friend.
Thank you, Lisa, for letting me send you random bits. Thank you for being honest with me about the places that didn’t work. You made the book better. Love you!
Krista Gustafson, thank you for giving Lillian a name. And for making Krista the Teen so fun to write into the story. Stephanie Dougal, thank you for naming Katrina. I hope to explore her story in another book in the future and this name is perfect for her. I love how gracious you would be if someone like “Drunk Drew” really did buzz your apartment.
My childhood friend, Stephanie and co-founder of the rap group, The Chatterbox Twins—thank you for answering questions about the bike shop. I have fond memories of hanging out with you at your parents’ shop around all of those “tough” bikers.
To my precious friends that have experienced great loss—thank you for teaching me about grief. Even more, thank you for being faithful witnesses of the presence of God in the deepest, darkest valleys, and for sharing the beauty and the ashes with me. I am honored to know you and cherish your friendships. To their men—we miss you. Your absence is deafening. We are doing our best to love your women—you would be incredibly proud of them.
Publications
Other works by Bethany Riehl (available on Amazon.com)
While attending her high school reunion, Amelia Howard discovers three things:
1. She may have taken a decision she made in high school much too far
2. She is basically the only one from her graduating class that is still single
3. Her best friend and secret crush—who moved away after graduation and never talked to her again—is back in town with a surprising new title
Oh, and he can still make her tummy flutter with that charming grin of his. The stinker. Thank goodness she never has to see him again…or so she thinks. Suddenly he’s everywhere—including on the trending tabs of all of her social media accounts. To her surprise, their renewed friendship promises to heal Amelia’s long ago broken heart…until it’s shattered all over again.
Creed Williams finally has the opportunity to make things right with Amelia and is determined to show her how much he has changed. But when a video of him goes viral, internet fame and drama take over his simple life. Suddenly he’s at risk of losing everything.
A story of old dreams realized, new hopes dashed, and the unfailing love of the One who holds everything in His capable hands…Trending.
Child of Deliverance series published as BD Riehl
Suchin is a young Thai girl and a victim of human trafficking in the city of Pattaya, Thailand. She is trapped in a dark world of corruption and perversity with little hope of ever escaping her captivity.
Lydia is a pretty and privileged eighteen-year-old American girl, with a hard heart and a cynical attitude toward her life and others. She has kept her deepest secrets private, and is on a downward spiral of resistance and rebellion.
Charlotte is a middle class stay-at-home mom and housewife who is living the life she desires. However, she often finds herself consumed by her discontentment and overwhelmed by the mundane routine of her life and her feelings of inadequacy.
Three aching souls are brought together from across the globe as a result of an unexpected mission. Despite threats of corruption and potential violent retaliation, one organization risks everything to show God’s love to the most barren and bleak corners of the world and to prove that, despite the extreme oppression and injustice in the world, the Earth is full of God’s unfailing love. Will these women’s hearts be shrouded in darkness forever, or can God’s light, which cancels out all darkness, transform their lives as they become Children of Deliverance?
The Earth Is Full is a story of hope, rescue, and redemption that will touch your heart and soul.
"Human trafficking is a worldwide epidemic, growing rapidly, and most of the sexually enslaved are children. B.D. Riehl does an excellent job of portraying the essence of what these kids go through and is raising awareness about this horrific injustice, while telling a beautiful story of God's unconditional love and unending faithfulness."
Holli King
Destiny Rescue
Chiang Rai, Thailand
Child of Deliverance series #2 published as BD Riehl
It is said that light cancels out all darkness. But what if the light is a ruse?
And what if there are shadows hiding behind the most unassuming corners?
A frightened teen rescued from the horrors of the licentious streets of Pattaya, Thailand, Nataya, immediately regrets leaving her friend Suchin behind in the brothel. But when Nataya is given life-changing news, she learns that Suchin isn’t the only one that still needs rescuing.
A lonely Peace Corps volunteer in Cambodia, Jakobi, wants to make a difference in the world.
The arrival of two orphaned children in the small village where she lives soon challenges everything Jakobi thought she knew about life and humanity.
The owner of an eclectic clothing store in Boise, Idaho, Zanna, is fiercely independent. She doesn’t need her family or anyone else. Or at least that’s what she thinks until one horrifying morning changes everything in her life.
Three compelling and heart-wrenching journeys interweave in unexpected ways to challenge the most basic of beliefs.
The Heavens Are Telling is a story of evil, sometimes unashamed and blatant, and sometimes disguised behind kind faces and religious norms. Even more, it is a story of God’s grace in unimaginable circumstances. A story of God’s sovereignty and His relentless pursuit of His children, whom He loves, no matter the cost. .
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