Dedicated to…
those whose pillows are wet from the
tears that cannot be counted
As a marriage and family therapist, I often encourage my clients to journal their thoughts, feelings, and daily encounters. For those who have experienced significant losses, sometimes this effort produces narratives that lead to new beginnings. This tool allows them to begin framing positive thoughts and plans for their future, as opposed to dwelling on negatives, languishing in depression, or hopelessly entrapped by feelings of victimization.
Donna Christensen, a close family friend, journalized the deep pain and loss she experienced when her husband of thirty years abandoned her. As I began reading her story, I experienced many emotions. Tears of grief flowed freely as she described the pain. Yet as I traveled with her through the written pages of her journey, I experienced joy as I read how she yielded herself to the care of our Lord Jesus Christ, how she looked to Him to meet her deepest need.
Donna’s story is one that I knew well. Eight years ago I received a long-distance phone call from her husband. He briefly explained that he was leaving her for another woman. He asked if I would look after her (their oldest daughter is my daughter-in-law). Immediately, my wife and I threw a few things in the car and drove several hours to their home. Donna and her children were experiencing the initial stages of this crisis in their family. After a few days, we went back to our home and responsibilities with heavy hearts. We left behind a lonely, scared, bewildered, and brokenhearted woman whose life had previously been devoted to supporting her husband and rearing their three children in a Christian home. We did not anticipate the work that God was about to do in Donna’s life.
As the months and years slipped by, our visits were sporadic, but encouraging. Every time we sat around the dining room table, I was blessed to see how Donna’s faith was being strengthened. We enjoyed hearing her laugh as never before, and watched her confidence grow as she began to trust God with her future, no matter what lie ahead. During one of those visits, she graciously shared major portions of her work. I immediately recognized that her story could be an encouragement to thousands who find themselves in similar circumstances. I urged her to have it published as a ministry to others.
I have shared drafts of Donna’s journal with clients in my practice and they have all told me how it encouraged them. I recommend this book to Christian counselors, not only as a model of how to journal, but even more importantly, as a way to point their clients to Donna’s great God. Hers is a journal that shows us in day-to-day living the path that leads to the only One who can meet our deepest need.
Richard S. Daum, M.A.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Copyright 2001, 2004 Donna Christensen
All rights reserved.
Published Online by: The Biblical Reader
www.biblicalreader.com