LOSS. The word even sounds sad to me, unless you are trying to lose weight. Then it is a happy thing. When I was looking for a photo to use for this post, dozens of photos of people with scales, measuring tapes, and skinny blue jeans were the results of my search. I finally had to add “loss of life” to my search words to get something other than weight loss.
This month I have to admit that I was at a LOSS as to what I should talk about. Thanksgiving will be past by the time this blog post appears, even though I am writing it several days ahead of Thanksgiving. Even my new release will find its way into the world before anyone reads this post, but I do want to remind everyone that my latest release is a Christmas novella, Puppy Love and Christmas Joy, the fourth book in my Happiness in Hallburg series. It is on sale for 99 cents. You can find more information by clicking or tapping on the title.
Since the title of the series is Happiness in Hallburg, how does loss fit in with happiness? I asked myself that question. I was thinking about Tony Zanetti, the hero of Puppy Love and Christmas Joy. When the story opens, he is clearly reminded of his recent losses. He has lost his job, his fiancee´, and the respect of those closest to him. But happiness is finding joy in Christmas.
I was still debating with myself about the subject of this post when I realized all the books in the Happiness in Hallburg series deal with characters who have suffered a loss. I’m not a plotter. I’m a plodder when it comes to writing. I don’t write fast. I ruminate over my stories as they come to me a little at a time. So I didn’t plan that all these novellas, which have been written a year apart in between the other books I’ve been writing, should all deal with some kind of loss.
In Puppy Love and Mistletoe, Scott Graham has suffered the loss of a dear friend and his wife, and now Scott is their daughter’s guardian. In Puppy Love and Jingle Bells, Cody Dunn has suffered the loss of connection to his sister because of her drug abuse. Oddly enough, the heroine of the story, Sedona Welch, has just decided to lose weight when the story opens, and she finds help from Cody, who is a personal trainer. In Puppy Love and Christmas Cookies, Alex Randall is still having a hard time getting over the loss of his wife. As you can see, there is some kind of loss the characters have to deal with.
Despite the loss connection in the books, I still wasn’t sure this should be the subject of my blog post. Then in church this morning, we had a guest speaker, who preached from the 34th Psalm. When he read this verse, I smiled to myself.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord rescues them from them all.
Pslam 34:18-19 NRSV
My characters learn this lesson about God and how He makes even the bad things in our lives good. Do you have a bad circumstance or loss in your life that God has turned into good? I would love to hear your stories. I will give away an ebook copy of one of my books to one person who leaves a comment, winner’s choice. I will draw the winning name on November 26, 2023, at 9PM MST.
“Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.”
RuthieH says
Hi Merrillee, this post seems very apt for November, it’s the month for thanksgiving and thanking God for his blessings, but also the month for remembering the people we’ve lost and those who have died in war.
The loss I’m sharing isn’t anything like that, but it was still hard at the time.
Years back I got a job as a trainee accountant. I was so pleased and proud, I had worked really hard to get the job and I had my whole career planned out! To continue in the job and qualify, you had to pass exams in accounting. I assumed this would be fine – I had always been good at maths, I’d passed the tests at interview stage, and I was prepared to work hard. Unfortunately it didn’t work out like that. I was fine with the day to day work, but no matter what I did I couldn’t pass the exams. I lost the job, all my plans were for nothing and I felt so embarrassed and humiliated.
It took me a while, but in the end I stopped just being angry at God in my prayer and demanding to know why he had done this to me, and started to really try to listen to Him, and take the comfort that He was offering all along. The loss of that job and my plans really showed me that my ways are not always God’s ways, and to trust in the path he has for me. It’s a lesson I’m still learning, but my career and life have gone in a completely different direction, and it is different but good.
Trudy says
One of the BEST things that’s happened to me since my Mom’s passing almost three years ago is that I’m closer to God than ever before. My dependence on Him, faith in Him, reliance on Him, has all grown by leaps and bounds as I’ve struggled to process the loss, and learned to be alone and have to make decisions alone. I’ve always thought I had a close walk, but it’s definitely become closer through these last few years.
Alicia Haney says
Hi, I love the sound of your books, and yes, at sometime or another we have all suffered a loss, being of what the loss must have been . We are human and loss of someone or something will always be in our lives., and no matter what God is Always and will Always be there for us, some loss is for the good of us and some loss is for helping us grow up. I enjoyed reading your post. Have a Great weekend. God Bless you and your family.
Merrillee Whren says
Hi Ruthie,
It is a good lesson to learn that God’s plans are better than ours. I am glad you have found a new path forward.
Merrillee Whren says
Hi Trudy,
A loss can definitely bring us closer to God. I am glad you have found that in your life.
Merrillee Whren says
Hi Alicia,
You are so right about what we can experiments with a loss. God is always there.
Debra Pruss says
Thank you for sharing. I have had many times that loss has brought about good things. The recent one would be when I became disabled. I was no longer able to work. I had allowed myself to get all caught up in who I was by what I was doing in the workplace. We lived with my Mom. My husband was on disability. The Lord opened the door that my disability was approved in less than six weeks. I had a couple precious years with my Mom at home before she went into the nursing home and later went into the arms of Jesus. God bless you.
Merrillee Whren says
Hi Debra,
It is always good to see how God can work things out in our lives.
Cherie J says
Like anyone else, I too have suffered from loss. I think the hardest losses are when you lose precious people in your life, such as my grandmother who was like a second mom to me. That loss was so hard, but at the same time I knew she was in a better place, because she had a strong faith. Knowing that made it easier to get through the grieving process and accept God’s comfort.
Joannie Sico says
I have been dealing with migraines since I was about 10 years old and yet by the grace of God I was a straight A student too. Honestly looking back now, I don’t know how I graduated especially because I had to teach myself half my classes and most were honor classes, like I said God.i do know that several students and teachers all said I was an inspiration to them for what I did and of course I told them I couldn’t have done any of it without God. Like a pastor of mine once said God always has a plan even if it’s not ours. Only he knows what it is and why.if for whatever reason his plan is not to heal us on earth, then we will be in heaven.
Dianne K says
Loss is such a blessing, though it may not feel it at the time. My friend recently remarked that without me she would have been lost organising her fathers funeral and estate, the first time she had ever encountered this. Out of my loss and the desire to support my mother I learned how to organise these as a child and the process is routine for me now and so it was simple practical support for me that I could provide for her. Right from the start God gave us choice and free will and with that comes the consequences – loss and joy, and sometimes both. Thanks.