I have the privilege of being the wife of my best friend, and mother to four precious daughters, each with beautiful hearts. I started this blog in 2009, blessed to be a stay at home mother to my girls. At that time I had been hand journaling my walk with the Lord for years. Within my journals I hoped to create a spiritual chronicle that will linger long after I am gone, pointing my children and grandchildren to Him. I started the blog with the intention of sharing some of the lessons I was learning in a way that my children could easily view them real time, as well as anyone else who might wish to. As life got busier, though, I blogged very intermittently and then not at all for five years.
From May 2016 to May 2017, I was privileged to see God move mightily in the course of a pastoral search process. May 17, 2017, as a testimony to God’s hand in bringing our pastor, I shared my journal entries in the post, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” Less than a month later, on June 8, 2017, my third daughter, Sarah Lauren Harmening, was killed in a bus crash outside of Atlanta, Georgia, while on her way to a mission trip in Botswana. June 18, 2017, one month after my post boldly proclaiming His great faithfulness, I posted our family’s testimony of His faithfulness in the midst of our tragedy, “Suffering, Anguish and Redemption.” I didn’t initially intend to publicly chronicle our journey through the valley of the shadow of death, but each time the Lord has provided, sustained and taught I have felt compelled to share.
“I write because I am broken and I am seeking the Lord. I write because I know He is faithful ‘so I know He’s going to do incredible things’ (to quote Sarah Harmening). I could save it all up and share it later, but there is something more powerful about watching the hand of God in the lives of broken people, real time. He will heal us, though we will always ache for Sarah. He is and will continue restoring our joy as a family. He will powerfully sustain us. He has and will continue to pour out grace upon grace on us. I cannot bear to be silent about what He has done and what He will do, so with a heart full of pain and praise I will continue to write. I will write right now in the valley, knowing one day I will once again see the mountain top. I’d love for you to join me on the journey, but even if I go alone, I will write.” ~ from “Why Write Now”
“But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” Joshua 22:5
Listening to Him 
Karen
Good for you. I toyed with the idea of a blog, but never followed through with it. I’ll stop by and check it out from time to time.
Ben
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Thank you so much for sharing! I found the link for your blog on Miracles for Maggie. We lost our 24-year-old son, Josiah, on June 5 as a result of an ATV accident when he came to our home for a BBQ on Memorial Day.
The pain of our loss is intense, but our hope remains in our Lord. Your words so eloquently state so many of my thoughts and feelings. Is it ok to share your blog posts?
I’m supposed to go finish packing Josiah’s belongings from his room today. I’m thankful his roommate has been so patient, and fortunately had not intended to re-rent his room. With the added delay of being gone this past week for my father’s funeral, and the emotional duress of the process, it has taken much longer than I had anticipated. Although I’m struggling with the ‘finality’ of finishing this, I know it needs to be completed.
As Maggie’s parents have been in my prayers since learning about their loss, you and your family will remain in my prayers as well.
💗💗💙
Michele, I am so very sorry to hear of your pain as well. Of course you may share, I am so thankful the words resonate and are useful for you. I am praying for you this very minute as you pack his room, my heat aches just reading the words. I still have not unpacked the suitcase Sarah had packed for her trip… Lifting you up to our Father right now. ❤
Your posts are so encouraging. You speak such wisdom into my life and I’m grateful to know you!
just found your blog and would like to follow along.
Hello, I didn’t see a way to contact you via your blog, so I’ll notify you via this comment. I’ve seen your blog posts posted on the While We’re Waiting closed Facebook page. I’ve nominated you for a Liebster Award. Find out more at this link: https://wordpress.com/post/ianspirationblog.com/2149
God Bless,
Sherrie
The photo of your family is stunningly beautiful. I’m so sorry for your terrible loss. Thank you for sharing your heart with your readers.
Karen, Thanks for posting this blog & sharing your grief in real time. I heard you speak this last Thursday & I was very blessed as you shared & after, as I process your words.
I have experienced a series of losses over the last several years- all sad, at different levels, my only daughter, a young adult, in rebellion, making lifelong connections with a non-believing young man with drug abuse issues; my only brother dying in a freak motor cycle accident- he was on an airport video seconds before his accident & he was driving safely & going the speed limit. He was a believer in Christ & left two sons – one was a senior in high school & the other was in early 20’s – after my brother’s death the older son re-dedicated his life to the Lord & served for a season in New Zealand ministering to young people with substance abuse issues; my beloved step-dad dying after a valiant fight with lung cancer; two beloved dogs passing – one elderly (made sense- he’d lived a long & good life) & one a younger adult dog who died from a broken heart ~ 2 months later, unexpected & so unexpectedly sad; a friend who loved the Lord & loved scripture memory going home to the Lord after an adult life impaired by crippling arthritis- glad she was in Heaven with her new glorified body yet still missed her; the death of my dad who may have died an agnostic & I may never see again; the loss of my fun sister-in-law after a crippling stroke and finally the ongoing loss of being included in grand-sons’& grand-daughters’ lives due to a rift that developed between their parents & grandparents- and no apparent way to resolve this except to pray.
God has helped me & not left me alone in this series of losses- I am grateful for His Holy Spirit, His Holy Word, fellowship with other believing women in Choose Life Alabama and the men & women in the Capshaw Baptist Church Celebrate Recovery.
I am also married to my best friend, a fellow believer in Christ which is so helpful in this journey of grief which at times can be so lonely. God has also blessed me with the preaching & teaching of our interim pastor, Rick White, especially via his series on Forgiveness.
I find God so present in the details as he placed my husband & me in a lovely neighborhood in East Limestone, Alabama surrounded by fellow believer’s in Christ- more move in every year! It is not an accident that you & I reconnected years after first meeting through Choose Life.
Thank you again Karen for staying transparent & not “sanitizing” your ongoing experience of grief.
I am continuing to pray for you & yours as the first Mother’s & Father’s Days are approaching since your loss of Sarah.
Grief is not easy as you well know yet we have joy, through Christ & His promises. He has never failed us & always keeps His word. I remember the words of my BSN Psychology course professor- she admonished us to teach our patients that if grief is not allowed to be experienced to it’s depths then we will not be free to experience the very heights of true joy.
May God continue to richly bless you my Sister in Christ
I too started blogging as a way to leave a piece of me behind. I want my child and family to know my love of God and how he has provided me in the valleys as well as the mountain top highs. Praise God, you have continued your blogging journey. I look forward to coming back from time to time and hearing about how God is using you to do his will.
Your use of the word, “ache”, really hit home with me. I am only now beginning to process my grief for my girlfriend, Sarah, whom I lost to a car crash in 1980. She was just 16. I was not with her when she died. Yes, even now 41 years later, my soul aches at the mere thought of her.
Thank you for sharing, from a guy in the UK.
I am having such a hard time finding a Christian based grief therapist. I am coming up on two years of my son going ahead of me and my grief processing needs more faith based Counseling than I currently have.
Does anybody have any recommendations on how I can find one? I am in the NY area but I am up for zoom if it’s the right person.
Any resources available Lee for such a search?
God bless you all!
Vee, I am so very sorry to hear about your son going ahead of you. I think GriefShare may be exactly what you are looking for. Hopefully they have a group in your area, but if not you can sign up for a virtual group. Praying now for your grieving heart and for God to connect with the right people there. https://www.griefshare.org/findagroup