Tamara – Page 37 – REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES

In VICTORY VERSES, we will explore key Bible verses that have guided my life recovery journey since 2005. After sharing how these verses impacted me, we will dive into their meaning and how they bring lasting victory. This column publishes on the 3rd Friday of each month in 2025.

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:15-18 (NIV)

In early 2006 I purchased an Amplified Bible from Joyce Meyer’s ministry. I hadn’t read that version much before that. So, when I began reading it, I was pulled in, especially to the Apostle Paul’s writings in the New Testament.

Soon after that I had to take my elderly mother to a doctor appointment to get her Rx refills. She had been diagnosed with both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Sadly, at this point in our relationship she was more like my daughter than my mother.

That day, I took my new Amplified Bible with me to read while waiting. I remember so well, how Mother was sitting on the exam table with her feet dangling like a little girl. The doctor was writing out mother’s Rx and completing his notes. Suddenly, I sparked up with excitement as I discovered today’s verse. I said, “Momma, listen to this!” Then I read it aloud. She and the doctor both listened intently. Afterward, I remarked, “Isn’t that an amazing scripture?” Mother said, “Yes, that is.” And the doctor nodded his head thoughtfully like it touched him as well.

After that day, I wrote the verse on a 3×5 file card and quickly began to daily meditate, internalize and apply all the truth within those words to my life. It became my first “Life Verse” and has been the passage of scripture that has gotten me through some of the hardest days of my life over the last 20 years.

Fresh takeaways as I reflect on 2 Corinthians 4:15-18 today:

- We must see the temporal trials of our life in the light of the victory we have in eternity with Christ.
- We must remember that the afflictions produce God’s glory in our life that is far greater than anything the affliction could ever be!

In 2019, I spent an entire year in a series of posts diving into a deep study of 2Corinthians4:15-18 . I encourage you to take some time to read through that series. Meditate on the passage, internalize and apply its truth to your own life. God can use it to bring your victory over your afflictions!

Be blessed by this beautiful worship song by Bethel Music and William Matthews

In MY VICTORY VOYAGE I’m sharing the trials I’ve faced and how God’s faithfulness carried me through. Join me on the 2nd Friday of each month in 2025 as we reflect on His restoration and grace.

The past decade has tested my faith and strength, especially through the heartbreak of estranged adult children. Ten Christmases and birthdays have brought deep waves of grief and longing. Yet, through it all, God’s faithfulness has carried me, whispering His promises of restoration and reminding me that no family is beyond His reach.

The Pain of Estrangement

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. ~ Psalm 147:3

To lose connection with a beloved child is a sorrow like none other. The questions, self-doubt, and helplessness can be overwhelming. I’ve asked God why this happened and what can be done to repair it. Yet, deep down my broken heart understands that God’s love for both me and my children is unshakable. I know He sees our pain and holds us tenderly in His loving arms.

God’s Promise of Restoration

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten… You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God. ~ Joel 2:25-26

The Bible is filled with stories and promises of restoration. The verse above reassures me that no matter how much time has been lost with my children or how broken things may seem today, God has the power to redeem it all and bring about full and complete restoration of our family.

Hope and Encouragement for Parents

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13

If you are walking a similar path, I want to encourage you with the words of one of my favorite verses above. Even when the future feels uncertain, God’s hope is our solid anchor. He calls us to trust Him, to believe in His timing, and to pray fervently for reconciliation.

Trusting God in the Process

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Restoration is not always immediate, and it may not come how we expect. Through this season, I’ve learned to prayerfully imagine each of my kids physically on my prayer altar, actually in God’s loving hands. This has helped get me through many tough days, weeks, months and years.

The best encouragement came in the last year when my husband and I were reconciled with our son and his young family. It has given us hope for the complete restoration of our entire family in God’s perfect timing.

Moving Forward with Hope

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6

In the promise above I’m reminded to trust in the seeds of faith that were planted long ago and to leave the outcome in God’s hands, knowing that He is faithful; He sees my heartache, and He is at work in ways I cannot yet see.