http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-storySat, 11 Feb 2012 12:21:02 -0500BasicLess than ninety days ago my life was full, my heart content and my future bright. I enjoyed a rare communion with my wife. We were a circle of two, endlessly supporting, encouraging, comforting and loving each other in so many ways I cannot count. God was in the middle of that circle, but few others were invited in, preferring the intimacy that comes with time well spent with just each other.http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-storySpire Ad RSS Generator http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments Michael,I have only met you and heard your story a few days ago, but I know God connected us to glorify Him in all things. As a widow, I truly feel your pain, but also know the rest of the story does come through the power of God's mercy and love in all we experience on this earth. You have the heart of God and the greatest faith I have ever known. Know I am your friend forever and am there for you! Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:07:39 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments Michael u have so many people who love u and support u dear. I'm one of them. Here for u. Lean on me whenever u need to! Love u bro! Sun, 07 Feb 2010 03:52:11 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments Dear Michael: May you find great treasures in the darkness as the Lord leads you. He created it all and is there to meet you. Be blessed in His warm embrace. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:21:34 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments Michael, Your journey has not been in a vacuum, and nothing God does ever is. Your faith and raw openess have been a true blessing to myself and I know countless others. May our Lord continue to lift you and sustain you until we are all gathered to HIm. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:52:19 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments Michael, the Spirit of Courage and Encouragement dwells in you. Even in your dark place of grief you shine the light of comfort and encouragement for others. Thank you for not deciding to travel this path alone, but to grant us the privilege of travelling with you. I am so encouraged how you are allowing the Lord to take you through at His pace and allowing Him to reveal to you the beauty of His wonders as you just let Him lead you. I am really learning from your experience which I feel has culminated into my experience as I follow you as you follow the Lord. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. As the Lord said to Joshua after He took Moses to be with Him, "only be strong and of good courage" The weaker you are , The stronger you become in His strength for that is when His strength is made perfect.Be Blessed Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:53:28 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments Michael,When I read that your wife had passed, I mourned with you and prayed for you wondering what, if anything would next. Imagine my surprise in receiving this latest blog and how inspiring and deeply touched I am by your sharing this insightful and wise blog. I am enjoying your maturity in the Lord as well as your commitment to us, your readers. I only regret is not having met with you sooner to be blessed with such a treasure as you. I am sure you are and will continue to miss and grieve your lovely wife but know that God has something great deposited within you that you must share with us before it's all said and done.I will continue to pray healing, encouragement, peace, comfort and love as you continue this walk now without the company of your beloved. Remember you are not alone but now a new depth has come for which we shall all be blessed because of it.Be strong in the power of His might - MIghty Man of Valor! Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:37:37 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments I am a hospice chaplain in Idaho. I just met with a man whose wife died two weeks ago. I will also meet today with a women whose husband died last week. Michael's willingness to talk so openly and realistically about the pain of the death of someone close, and to offer real and solid hope, not wishful dreaming type of hope, will be of great comfort to many. I will offer Michael's account for a breath of hope to those who are grieving. My wife and my first born boy was still born after a completely wonderful pregnancy. I held his lifeless shell soon after he was delivered, and was filled with faith for a miracle. I asked Jesus for his life to be restored, knowing I would watch that little chest rise with breath. That was my plan, my expectation. Instead, the presence of Jesus was more real than I have ever experienced. I felt loved in the middle of the darkest loss I had ever faced. Pain was shrouded in thick peace. Confusion existed, but comfort arose in greater measure. Jesus himself was our peace, and I knew God had a different plan and purpose than my expectation. Through that situation, family members were reconciled to each other, and healing was one of many "treasures found only in darkness," as Michael so deeply described it. Thank you for chronicling your certain discoveries of treasures in darkness. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:28:27 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments For a while I was depressed by everything that was happening to you I did not want to read it. Now I am encouraged by you because of the strength God has given you. I miscarried at 7months and prayed for resurrection etc it did not happen and my faith was really shaken. seeing how you are pulling through makes me know that I do not need all the answers I need to know God is faithful even if his ways are beyond me. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:21:00 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments Michael, I am sorry I haven't written sooner, as I kept up with Brenda's fight for life, I was also keeping up with my Father in law and my Mom, who now both require 24 hour care and live in two different towns an hour apart. I am an encourager by Divine Design of the Lord. I want you to know that even though I haven't met you, your family, ministry and life have truly impacted me, my family and my business. We are truly thankful for God's mercies that are new every morning. Our fight is not over, it has been going on since May of 2008, my Mom is 67, my Father in law is 79. Both of them are in great need of love and support and my husband and I and my step Dad are all doing that work. We have help as well from church Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:09:26 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments This is very deep. We have to be fashioned in God's furnace sometimes, but if you trust Him wholeheartedly, He will bring you out like shining gold. May you experience His assurance and His faithfulness. And remember, if He takes you to it, He will bring you through it. May He continue to strengthen you.LeoJamaica, West Indies Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:07:05 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments Dear Michael, This is awesome. While I share your grief with you, I know God has allowed it for a purpose. I look forward to sharing the treasures you find in this dark place with you as you discover them. Its amazing how God can bring something beautiful out of our pain. May God continue to comfort and strenghthen you. My heart is with you. And thanks for choosing to be a blessing even in this season of your life. Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:59:21 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments I sigh deeply at these words and just open my mouth is amazement. Gold is never refined but in FIRE. You grief biblically. It is easy for us to encourage you, when we are not in the furnace, but you are your best encouragement in the Lord, Yeshua, while we receive the insights for our own evening someday.Shalom. Okotch (Kenya) Sat, 30 Jan 2010 05:38:24 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments I sigh deeply at these words and just open my mouth is amazement. Gold is never refined but in FIRE. You grief biblically. It is easy for us to encourage you, when we are not in the furnace, but you are your best encouragement in the Lord, Yeshua, while we receive the insights for our own evening someday.Shalom. Okotch (Kenya) Sat, 30 Jan 2010 05:36:57 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments Dear Michael,We are a few months out from your place of grief and truly can relate to your incredible loss.It makes me know how much you love the lord that you will look for treasures in those darkest places of the night. I understand.Our sweet Joshie shows us some of those treasures hidden as he is very busy doing his Fathers will.The other day a fellow came to me with a story of how a little boy named Joshie helped him. He was a man of crime and selfishness. Somewhere he found Joshies story and followed it He said he kept track of the struggle and pain only to find God using the story to show him a new way to live.He found out a little boy of 11 could be so strong and so caring. He found out Joshie was willing to do it all over again if someone could find their way. This man was able to find his way from drugs crime and reunite with his family.The man did not know I was Joshies grandmom.Joshie while alive had a thing about pennies, We his family find pennies in the oddest of places. The other day Joshies class were skeeing and his very best friend fell while skeeing as he gained composure he went to put his hand out to push himself up from the snow. There layed a penny in all that snow out in the middle of a Wisconsin hill we call a mountain. Joshies brother was there helping the friend up when he found the penny. Both boys cried. Joshie was there.At times grief is almost way beyond human endurance.There in the black of night is the love of the Lord. His soft touch, His care. His song. There as well are land mines as we call them. Deep dark pits so dark that one must pull themselves out. Sometimes it seems justified and only right to enter these places only to realize NO this is self pity this is self distruction. Thats when the Lord extends His hand and He walks awhile with us.So many people thanked us for bieng so open with our struggle and loss I can now understand why. Keeping abreast with your story has helped me in a strange sort of way. Thank you Micheal.If I could give advice to you it would be to let yourself grieve, Let yourself feel, Talk openly using Brendas name it brings comfort just to hear that name. You are lovedJudy Holm Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:49:01 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog http://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#commentshttp://www.michaelpink.com/blog/2010/01/28/this-is-not-the-end-of-the-story#comments I just want you to know you remain in my thoughts and prayers. God Bless! Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:31:26 EST This Is Not The End Of The Story... - Blog