God is with us in the darkness. He is near to the brokenhearted. He is a God who walks with us in the valley.
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Genesis 50:20
God doesn’t allow heartbreak or loss without a reason. However, it can be hard to hang on to those purposes when walking through the valley.
After walking through darkness, Gerard and Jeannie Long are acutely aware to God’s love of the brokenhearted.
Gerard shares what he’s learned in the valley. He felt prepared for the coming darkness even in the midst of a fruitful, joyful season.
“It was a wonderful time but shortly after that I felt God clearly saying, Gerard, you’re going to go through a period of intense brokenness, but through it I’m going to glorify My name.”
Just as God had said, tragedy occurred very soon after. Their teenage son became delusional after taking a drug with a boy at school, and he committed suicide.
“It was a nightmare, words can’t describe the absolute pain and agony of that time.”
Gerard and Jeannie both responded differently to the traumatic event. Jeannie ran from God; Gerard ran to Him.
“In it and through it we learned some very, very deep things of God.”
Even in the midst of the worst tragedy, God can use the circumstances of our earthly lives to draw us closer to Him. Gerard was asked to lead Alpha shortly after his son’s death, and he stepped into the role with a stronger urgency to reach the lost than he had ever experienced.
“One of the things I saw was eternity, which really helped me through.”
Gerard wrestled with the suffering he and his wife had experienced. He came up with three possible options in his mind, and only one of them could be true.
“Either Scripture isn’t true, Satan is more powerful than Scripture says and he can usurp God’s power, or God’s working something through this for His eternal purpose.”
Gerard didn’t believe that Scripture wasn’t true or that Satan was just as powerful as God. Only one option remained. He had to hold on to the fact that God was using the suicide of his son for a purpose.
“And that does tie up with Scripture because you see that through Job and Joseph. I began to see that God was working something for His eternal glory, and His purpose even if we didn’t like it.”
Today Gerard and Jeannie lead Awakening to God ministry, which reaches out to those who are suffering with the message of the Gospel. Through their valley, other parents and families are being encouraged and strengthened. Their persistence is a testimony to God’s grace and power in our moments of extreme weakness and loss.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 6:33; Proverbs 4:23; Psalm 18:4; Hebrews 4:16; Genesis 50:20
Featured Songs: Lead Me to a Rock by Emmanuel Live; I Believe by Chris August; Boldly I Approach Your Throne by Rend Collective
