Tying the Knot, Deep Haven Series #2
By Susan May Warren
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On March 1, 2002, at 1:00pm, three men broke into our high-rise apartment in Russia and brutally attacked me and my children. By the grace of God, our lives were spared and we were not terribly injured –physically. But the masked attackers had left a deep spiritual and emotional wounds. We were sent to a trauma center for counseling for a month, then returned to Russia, our field of service, to compete our missionary term. Four months later, burned-out and spiritually empty, we packed our bags and returned to America for our scheduled one-year home service.
I had no plans to return. Secretly, I harbored deep in my heart a resolve to never again set foot in Russia, with its many dangers. I had done eight hard years of service there and felt that I had given the best part of myself to a country that didn’t care. And no one –not even God– was going to change my mind. Yes, He’d spared my life, but I had serious doubts I could ever trust Him again.
But God knew better. Not only is He gentle, but He understands and can understand my pain and my questions. I dove into the Psalms, finding hope in David’s cries to the Lord and healing in his praise to the Almighty in the darkest hours. I observed God’s goodness to me, providing for my family needs in the past –and present– and I allowed myself to be embraced by the body of Christ, who loved us well. Finally, as time and distance began to heal me, I was able to look behind and see God’s grace embracing me every moment of the difficult journey. He reminded me that He would meet me in my future with the same abundance of grace.
I wrote Anne and Noah’s story while struggling through the dark night of the soul. Amazingly, many times I felt as though the words that appeared on the page were more for me than for Anne. I journeyed with Anne until I, too, could see God embracing me in the darkest hour. Her victory is mine.
On New Year’s Eve 2003, I surrendered to the Lord my future, agreeing to continue missionary work in Russia is God so chose. The peace that flooded my heart told me that His grace would carry me wherever He took our family. His grace is sufficient. For every hearthache, every fear, every wound.
Thank you for reading Tying the Knot. I pray that somehow Anne and Noah’s journey of faith and love will encourage and bless you. And that you will know, above all, that it is well with your soul.