Courage for Tomorrow, Faith for Today, & Hope for a Future

[This article is the Foreword by Kris Vallotton for James W. Goll’s book, Tell Your Heart to Sing Again.] Historically, the church has not always excelled at walking with people through their pain. We know how to rejoice with those who rejoice, yet we often fall short of Christ’s standard when it comes to mourning with those who mourn. Our Savior wept with his bereaved friends at the tomb of Lazarus, yet many Christians today are more likely to respond to tragedy with poorly reasoned explanations, weak attempts to cheer, or dark hints that the mourners should have had more faith. Sadly, I am no exception. In my unconscious ignorance, I used to casually joke about Christians needing antidepressants until depression became profoundly personal. My family went through a terrible crisis that lasted two years. I put all of my time, energy, and thought into helping them, pushing beyond my soul’s capacity to cope with such extensive amounts of pain. I started experiencing high levels of anxiety that taxed my mind and body like a plague. Before long, I found myself in a battle with anxiety and depression that left me hopelessly glued to my couch for months. Every day was a living hell as I fell deeply into a seemingly endless pit of despair. At last, I was set free in a moment when I heard God’s resounding truth for my situation and chose to believe it. This book you are holding [Tell Your Heart to Sing Again] is full of the same kind of shackle-breaking power and illuminating truth.

As you can imagine, my compassion for people walking through anxiety, depression, and grief has grown astronomically since my nervous breakdown, and I’ve since had the privilege of walking many others through their darkest seasons. I’ve come to find that when people are grieving, they don’t need answers as much as they need empathy. In these pages, you will find both. After walking through terrible loss himself, James Goll understands the process of pain and the purpose of grief as well as the tormenting guilt and questions they can ignite. He also understands that grief is a process, not a place where we set up camp for the remainder of our lives. Mourning is God’s way of bringing closure to our pain. In fact, I’d like to propose that true grief leads us not to despair but rather to renewal. Wherever you are on that highway to wholeness, Tell Your Heart to Sing Again will help guide you to your destination: new levels of peace, promise, and purpose. If you’ve picked up this book, I imagine that you or your family have found yourselves facing a mountain of pain that feels impossible to summit. Grief is not the end of your story! Romans 8:28 tells us “all things work together for good to those who love God” (NKJV). In other words, if it’s not good, it’s not the end. We have a good God who promises that you will get through this and that the darkness will not consume you. I can tell you from experience that it is possible to emerge from a season of heartache and disappointment healed, hopeful, and wholly free. Mary Anne Radmacher once said, “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” (Mary Anne Radmacher, Courage Doesn’t Always Roar, 2009, Conari Press) I pray that God will meet you in these pages and give you fresh courage for tomorrow, faith for today, and hope for a future glistening with joy and possibility.

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