A Steadfast Heart: Experiencing God's Comfort in Life's Storms by Elyse Fitzpatrick Page A
Authors: Elyse Fitzpatrick
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whether you’re looking for a more steadfast heart, trying to find God’s comfort in a storm, or want to spend 15
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Introduction
some time with a sister and Psalm 57 (our primary text for this book), you’ve come to the right place. In the pages that follow we’ll journey together through this divinely inspired prayer, and we’ll see how God consoles us. We’ll even seek to discover why He brings storms our way (Job 37:9–13). We’ll also learn what it means to have a steadfast heart and how a storm surge of joy and worship can burst forth from you in grateful thanks and praise for His steadfast love!
A National Tragedy Becomes Personal
Like most people in America, I spent most of September
11, 2001, glued to the television. I distinctly remember what I felt when I watched those towers come down: confusion, terror, and overwhelming sorrow. I wept.
A little later in the day I received a phone call from a relative informing me that my aged father, who worked in proximity to the World Trade Center, was near the disaster, and, although he was not injured, he was unable to get home. Hours went slowly by, and many prayers were offered until finally, near the end of the day, I heard the good news that he had boarded a tug boat at Battery Park and had been brought uptown to his home. He was well, and though I was filled with grief and sorrow for the thousands of people who had suffered that day, I thought I was safe. I hadn’t really been touched . . . or so I thought. Oh, how wrong I was.
I was wrong because, in response to their losses from the 9/11 tragedy, insurance companies modified the way they pay disaster claims. For most people this wouldn’t present a major problem, but for my husband, Phil, and me, it did. That’s because Phil owned and operated a disaster restoration company that 16
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Introduction
serviced claims from homeowners who had suffered some form of loss: a fire, flood, or vandalism. The lifeblood of our business depended upon insurance companies that were severely affected by the terrorist attacks. In fact, we’re still reeling from the aftershocks of that tragic day.
The way that this and other difficulties played out in our lives is that from day to day, Phil and I didn’t know whether we were going to make it financially. Because we were the owners of our business, if it failed it meant more than just looking for a new job. It meant the loss of everything we owned. This was the new reality for us.
In addition, along about 2003, I began to experience some strange physical symptoms that have never been conclusively diagnosed. The strain of the difficulties we were facing—Were we going to be able to make our payroll? Were we going to have a house to live in? What would happen to our adult children who worked in the business with us? Would our family be torn apart? What would happen to our grandchildren?—took its
toll on my body. I struggled and felt as though a burden had been placed on my back that I couldn’t find any escape from.
The doctors had a neat little Latin label for this condition but couldn’t offer any real help.
As if all this weren’t enough, it was in the summer of 2003
that our beloved pastor, Craig Cabaniss, and a number of much-loved families from our church told us that they believed God was calling them to plant a church in north Dallas and that they would be leaving within the year. Every family in our church spent months crying buckets of tears at the rending of such precious relationships.
From 2002 until around March 2005, it seemed that every
new day brought a new storm front, a pounding that we hadn’t 17
Fitzpatrick.Steadfast.book.indd 17
8/15/06 4:05:01 PM
Introduction
previously known. “You’re not going to believe this . . .” was Phil’s daily refrain as he came home from work. “They did what?” was my frequent response.
Fitzpatrick.Steadfast.book.indd 15
8/15/06 4:05:01 PM
Introduction
some time with a sister and Psalm 57 (our primary text for this book), you’ve come to the right place. In the pages that follow we’ll journey together through this divinely inspired prayer, and we’ll see how God consoles us. We’ll even seek to discover why He brings storms our way (Job 37:9–13). We’ll also learn what it means to have a steadfast heart and how a storm surge of joy and worship can burst forth from you in grateful thanks and praise for His steadfast love!
A National Tragedy Becomes Personal
Like most people in America, I spent most of September
11, 2001, glued to the television. I distinctly remember what I felt when I watched those towers come down: confusion, terror, and overwhelming sorrow. I wept.
A little later in the day I received a phone call from a relative informing me that my aged father, who worked in proximity to the World Trade Center, was near the disaster, and, although he was not injured, he was unable to get home. Hours went slowly by, and many prayers were offered until finally, near the end of the day, I heard the good news that he had boarded a tug boat at Battery Park and had been brought uptown to his home. He was well, and though I was filled with grief and sorrow for the thousands of people who had suffered that day, I thought I was safe. I hadn’t really been touched . . . or so I thought. Oh, how wrong I was.
I was wrong because, in response to their losses from the 9/11 tragedy, insurance companies modified the way they pay disaster claims. For most people this wouldn’t present a major problem, but for my husband, Phil, and me, it did. That’s because Phil owned and operated a disaster restoration company that 16
Fitzpatrick.Steadfast.book.indd 16
8/15/06 4:05:01 PM
Introduction
serviced claims from homeowners who had suffered some form of loss: a fire, flood, or vandalism. The lifeblood of our business depended upon insurance companies that were severely affected by the terrorist attacks. In fact, we’re still reeling from the aftershocks of that tragic day.
The way that this and other difficulties played out in our lives is that from day to day, Phil and I didn’t know whether we were going to make it financially. Because we were the owners of our business, if it failed it meant more than just looking for a new job. It meant the loss of everything we owned. This was the new reality for us.
In addition, along about 2003, I began to experience some strange physical symptoms that have never been conclusively diagnosed. The strain of the difficulties we were facing—Were we going to be able to make our payroll? Were we going to have a house to live in? What would happen to our adult children who worked in the business with us? Would our family be torn apart? What would happen to our grandchildren?—took its
toll on my body. I struggled and felt as though a burden had been placed on my back that I couldn’t find any escape from.
The doctors had a neat little Latin label for this condition but couldn’t offer any real help.
As if all this weren’t enough, it was in the summer of 2003
that our beloved pastor, Craig Cabaniss, and a number of much-loved families from our church told us that they believed God was calling them to plant a church in north Dallas and that they would be leaving within the year. Every family in our church spent months crying buckets of tears at the rending of such precious relationships.
From 2002 until around March 2005, it seemed that every
new day brought a new storm front, a pounding that we hadn’t 17
Fitzpatrick.Steadfast.book.indd 17
8/15/06 4:05:01 PM
Introduction
previously known. “You’re not going to believe this . . .” was Phil’s daily refrain as he came home from work. “They did what?” was my frequent response.
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