Debbie W. Wilson

Refreshing Faith

When “No” Is the Best Answer to Prayer

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I left my dear friend feeling the loss that was quickly approaching. Her body was shutting down. I wanted to hold her close, protect her, and fill her weak body with all the love and strength I could impart. Instead I held her hand and loved her the best I could.

An Auspicious Meeting

Our family met Susie’s at the Kanki Japanese Steak House in the late eighties. We were celebrating our young son’s birthday. We sat facing the chef who entertained us as he prepared our food. At the end of the meal, the chef told us Susie had paid for our meals.

Stunned, we turned to this woman we’d just met. She waved off our gratitude as if paying for a stranger’s dinner was an everyday occurrence. Maybe it was for Susie. Little did I know this would be the beginning of a deep and lasting friendship.Continue Reading

Why I Know We’ll Be Happy in Heaven

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Jesus says He’s gone to prepare a place for us (Jn. 14:2-3). Have you thought about what kind of place in heaven He’s preparing specifically for you?

Much to my mother’s chagrin, when I was a girl, I loved blue jeans and climbing trees. I’d shimmy up the trunk of a tall pine the neighborhood boy couldn’t reach without standing on his bicycle. My trees were forts, castles in the clouds, and hot houses for daydreaming.

My arms and legs no longer scale trees or swing from branches. But I still feel the magic when I peek through leafy limbs.

Our kitchen sits over our garage. The Crepe Myrtle growing beside our garage doors spreads its lovely branches in front of a bank of casement windows. When I look out from my kitchen table, my heart smiles. I’m living in a heated and air-conditioned tree house.

I wasn’t thinking about how much I enjoyed the view from trees when we picked out our house plan or when we planted the Crepe Myrtle. But God remembered.Continue Reading

A Surprising Gift From an Untimely Death

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I called my friend Nikki anticipating her lively voice and was shaken to hear sobbing. “Debbie, we just found out our son died.”

I’d called in response to an earlier text. That was not why she’d texted me. But God had timed my call perfectly. Even though I couldn’t take away my friend’s pain, I could share in those initial moments of shock and grief.

Nikki felt the need to contact Justin’s birth mother. The woman was devastated. She’d never be able to meet her son on earth. She wanted to fly across the country for the service. With Nikki’s permission I share what she wrote about their meeting.Continue Reading

How to Find Your Way Through Grief in Divorce

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Today my friend Yvonne Ortega shares tips from her professional and personal experience to help those going through a divorce find their way through the stages of grief. Here’s Yvonne…

In 1991, I found myself in the throes of a legal separation and divorce proceedings. I rode an emotional roller coaster. My insides screamed, “Stop this thing. I want to get off.”

My friend told me, “You need to find your way through the stages of grief in divorce. With help, you can do it.”

How do you find your way through the stages of grief in divorce? I found it helps to understand what’s going on. The stages aren’t easy or quick. You can go back and forth through several or all of them.

By the time you finish this article, you’ll be able to identify the stages of grief in divorce, mark where you are, and feel more confident that you’ll get through them and the emotional roller coaster will stop.Continue Reading

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