I remember a childhood rhyme kids used to say to tease one another. It ended with something like “. . . first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage.” And somewhere between childhood rhymes and the developed rhythms of adult life, these witty sayings became internalized beliefs—as if life should unfold as simply as those sayings roll off our tongues.
But life is not that simple, and sometimes the marriage or the baby carriage leaves us deeply wounded, unfulfilled, and even empty. Where is God when our wants and wishes wash away and we crash against the solid, stern rock of reality? How do we move forward with broken hearts, bewildered to know what the “abundant Christian life” is really about?
In this profoundly touching interview, Marilyn Meberg openly discusses her personal experiences of love and loss—as well as how to live with lasting hope through life’s challenges.
Watch the Interview:
Interview Questions
- Something very significant happened in your life years ago. Will you tell us about that?
- Were there any indications of your daughter’s disorder during your pregnancy?
- Was she taken away from you immediately?
- How do you live fully on this side of heaven, knowing that your loved ones are already in heaven?
- How did you handle those first few hours after Joni’s birth and the grief of discovering her condition?
- If you could do it again, would you parent differently?
- When did you and your husband Ken come together?
- How did saying “good-bye” to your husband when he died change you?
- What kind of support did you have in dealing with grief?
- Did you ever ask, “God, why did You take my husband?”
- How did you find meaning and purpose in the healing process?
- How does humor heal us?
- How does a person heal after losing a loved one?
- What do we do with those things in life that will never fully heal? Or, what about the mom who says, “I didn’t ask for this”?
- What is the answer to the question, “Why isn’t God listening to me?”
- How long did it take you to figure out that God’s ways are not our ways . . . and how long did it take to be at peace with that truth?
- How can the church take better care of or offer support to those who are suffering?
- How did your family grow after you lost Joni?
- What can you say to those who have a broken heart?
Let Me Hear from You
No one plans to lose a child or a loved one. No one expects to wake up one morning wondering how she or he is going to make it through the day. Even as Christians, admitting we are lost in pain and grief is difficult because few know how to really deal with the raw side of reality.
Without a doubt, Marilyn understands the challenges of life as well as how to find meaning and purpose in them. As you watched this interview:
- Did part of your own story relate to Marilyn’s?
- Have you just lost a loved one and your balloon of grief is about to burst?
- Is your baby carriage empty, while others’ seem so unfairly full?
- Do you wonder where God is? Does God seem distant, uncaring, unfaithful, or unjust?
- What was the hardest part of watching this interview, and why?
Remember, wherever you go, God is there—whether or not you feel His presence. Let’s talk over these real, raw issues and move forward with renewed hope.
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Marilyn Meberg Books
- Choosing the Amusing by Marilyn Meberg, softcover book
- Constantly Craving: How to Make Sense of Always Wanting More by Marilyn Meberg, softcover book
- Free Inside and Out by Marilyn Meberg and Luci Swindoll, softcover book
- Love Me Never Leave Me: Discovering the Inseparable Bond That Our Hearts Crave by Marilyn Meberg, softcover book
Insight for Living Ministries Resources
Resources by Charles R. Swindoll
- Getting Through the Tough Stuff, CD series of 14 CDs with softcover Bible Companion
- Job: A Man of Heroic Endurance, CD series of 22 CDs with softcover study guide
- “Releasing Our Burdens Beneath the Waves,” video message for download
- “What If You Suddenly Lose Everything?” individual message on CD or MP3