Let's Parent on Purpose

December 13, 2020

Ep. 204 : Losing a Child Isn’t the Last Word with Diana Grounds

Diana Grounds is one of my heroes. As a parent, she has endured more trials and challenges than most of us ever will. Yet, she is still filled with the joy of Jesus like very few people I have ever known and she is one of the best examples of keeping hope and faith through it all.

Show Highlights

Diana Grounds is a mother of four children, two of which have proceeded her to heaven. She and Charles, her husband of 53 years, have followed Jesus through the death of one son to leukemia, another daughter to a heart condition, the brain aneurysms of a third child, and a terrifying path of drugs and rebellion for a forth child. Diana’s hope in Jesus radiates through her severe trials. She has served in various roles at Fellowship Baptist Church in Barboursville, WV, and is a national speaker with the Christian Women’s Connection.

Through everything Diana had been through with each of her children, she finally came to realize: “I have to take God at his word.” Trust in Him and lift up to Him what we have no control over.

Clinging to the words in the Bible, she learned, “I did not have to be afraid because He is God. I don’t have to be dismayed or discouraged because He is my God.” God will provide the strength and help you need.

Just experiencing one of these challenges is overwhelming enough, but the difficult situations strengthened Diana’s faith in God’s promises. “I could praise the Lord even with our son and daughters’ illnesses.”

It was harder to deal with her eldest daughter becoming addicted to drugs because she felt somehow responsible for it as a parent. To overcome this, Diana actively looked for ways to help her daughter towards recovery. She ended up having her daughter arrested and committed to a home. It was a difficult decision to make, but a necessary one. “I was able to place her in God’s care, expecting Him to accomplish what I couldn’t.” Knowing that God could do what she could not released a lot of guilt from Diana as a mother.

No parent wants to – or should – have to bury their own child. Diana had to bury two. Still, she has also witnessed big and small moments of God’s blessings. “His grace is sufficient.”

[bctt tweet=”I could praise the Lord even with our son and daughters’ illnesses.” username=”jaydholland”]

Resources Mentioned

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About Let's Parent on Purpose

Let's Parent on Purpose is a weekly podcast designed to strengthen your marriage, parenting, and personal relationship with Jesus. Host Jay Holland provides examples from God's word, real life success and failure stories, and lots of humility from his 20+ years of student ministry, parenting, foster parenting, and counseling others. Each episode you'll receive an insight or interview that will help you thrive, not just survive your parenting years.

You can find more from Jay at LetsParentOnPurpose.com or follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

About Jay Holland

Jay Holland is a follower of Jesus, a husband to Emily, and the biological and adoptive father of four children. For more than two decades Jay has served as a pastor in family and student ministries, and has walked through multiple special needs challenges within his own family.

Jay’s personal and pastoral experiences led him to launch the weekly Let’s Parent on Purpose podcast to equip and empower moms and dads to build thriving families. He serves at Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church in Stuart, Florida and is also on the board of Hopegivers, a ministry that cares for children and churches in India.

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