At the end of the day… He is enough!
// April 16th, 2010 // Loux Family News
(Easter Sunday) Renee' and Tribe
Derek and Renee's Priceless Blessings From Jesus
Sophia, Telma and Michaela
Amazing Silas
Beautiful Telma and Miracle Boy Ethan
Silas, beautiful Michaela and happy Sasha
Our beautiful Sophia and Michaela
Michaela
Taking time to smell the flowers
Sana and her priceless smile, holding on to her older sister KK (Michaela)
I love our girls! Keyolla, Telma, Leeann and Teyolla are not only beautiful on the outside but incredibly beautiful on the inside too! What gifts they are to me!
Our beauties
Key Key and me
How thankful I am for my mom who is such a great support to me and to our kids!
In the weeks and months following the accident that led to the death of my precious husband and the father of our 10 children, I’ve gone from feelings of numbness and shock, to feeling overwhelmed by a wide range of all kinds of emotions. Once touched by pain, you are not the same….. never… but, you are the one who makes the choice to let that pain drive you away from Jesus to a place of anger and offense, or into his arms, as your only hope; not just hope to make it through the great pain and sadness, but hope to live this life with a vibrant passion for Jesus and for all the dreams He has put in your heart.
In September of 1995, my daddy (Sam Sasser) died very unexpectedly after surgery. His death would be the first of four devastating losses in my life. Nine months following Daddy’s death, mine and Derek’s firstborn son Josiah, would also go on to be with Jesus, at 2 and ½ years old. Three months after Josiah’s death, I lost the child I was carrying in my womb. I was almost 4 and ½ months along in my pregnancy. Through all of these incredibly painful losses, I always had Derek in my life, to cry with, to process the pain with and to hold and comfort me as we walked through all the heartache together. On December 23rd, it was Derek that went home to be with Jesus. It wasn’t until his death that I realized how much I had depended on him throughout so much of my life, to be the strength and pillar that I leaned on. When I was standing over Derek’s coffin, staring in disbelief that this was now my husband’s body I was looking at, I realized I wouldn’t have him to process this great sadness with, because it was now my precious love who was gone. The reality of this knocked the wind out of me. For years, Derek had been speaking around the world about how God is “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows” (Psalms 68:5). Now our children and I would come to understand the reality of this truth to the greatest degree one could…. by losing Derek and by completely relying on God in everyway…for everything.
I know I have NEVER been alone. Everything that’s happened-the grief, the hurt, the confusion, has had me pressing into Jesus to greater degrees than ever before. Have I walked out this reality every minute of the day since Derek’s death? No! There have been times throughout the day when all I could feel was grief and I didn’t want to be part of this new ‘widow’s club’. The reality of Derek’s death stings and there are still some nights when I roll over in my bed, reaching for him, only to be hit with the fact that he’s not there and I’ll never again feel his warm body laying next to mine. So, the pain is definitely still very fresh, but I can truly say that it’s in those moments that Jesus meets me and gently holds my heart, assuring me of his love. He has proven to me over and over again that He’s here with me and He is not going anywhere. I trust Him and I’m clinging to Him. The Lord is giving me his supernatural grace, his strength and his joy. I have hope that only comes from my Jesus. He remains forever constant. No matter what, God is here with me, with our children and at the end of the day…. God is enough. He always has been and always will be.
I’m overwhelmed by the emails, messages on facebook and messages on our blog that many of you have sent. Thank you for your love, your support and your incredible kindness! So many of you have been used by Jesus to be a healing balm to my heart. There are also several of you who are walking through much loss and great pain yourselves.. Thank you for being vulnerable and for sharing your stories with me. I am honored to be on the receiving end of those of you who are also walking with a ‘limp’ and yet holding on to Jesus and His hope. Don’t give up. Keep on fighting the good fight… keep your faith and let’s finish this race well (2 Timothy 4:7,8).
Romans 8:37-39
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, not any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Blessings and hugs to each of you,
Renee’ and Tribe
14 Responses to “At the end of the day… He is enough!”
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- gunawan said: great, i love it...
- burnudy said: *what...
- burnudy said: i disagree! yes, religion gives people something t...
- burnudy said: ^...
- Dawn said: Thank you Renee for adding your thoughts about fos...
- Denise Hamilton said: Dearest Renee, I am weeping even as I type this...
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What beautiful Truth you share. I am glad that you have allowed it to sink into the deepest parts of you and into the places of the heart. thank you for sharing the pics of the children and yourself. Im sure you agree with all of us thanking God that Spring has arrived!
Renee,
Your words of hope and love for Jesus really touch my heart as I see you and your family smiling together. What pretty girls you have and those boys make me heart jump just knowing how far they have come with all of you and your love. God Bless you Renee, your words teach me so much every time I read your blog, about God’s undying love for us all. Bless you for your faith, hope and encouragement to all of us. We are blessed that you share your thoughts, prayers and family with us.
Amy
I love this family SO much. Your blog brings me closer to Jesus…. it’s so real when you talk about him. I love you all so much and am still standing with you all in prayer…. Your family are all my heroes!
Renee, you are so strong even when I imagine it is very hard for you to be. We both know the strength you have is from Jesus alone. Thank you for beautifully relaying that in this post.
May our precioius Jesus continue to cover you, and your beautiful children, with His great love.
Sarah
Just so touched and amazed at the things that the Lord is doing through your Family…..wow
I cried as I read this blog. Your reality every day is one in which you MUST press in to Jesus and this challenges me to the deepest part of my heart to do the same, even if grief like yours has not yet crossed my path. I love you, dear sister in Jesus! Let us run this race together, pointing each other to the One who is enough!
Your post made me shed tears, my heart goes out to you. I can’t imagine what this is like for you and the flood of emotions you experience. I’ve lost my father and brother but what your experiencing is totally different, I wish I had the right words for you. All I can say is despite your pain you continue to be a beam of light and inspiration to so many, God is using you in such an incredible way, I wish we lived near eachother so I could help you and just hug you. Blessings to you, and your incredibly beautiful bunch!
Renee- You are an amazing woman and I pray that God will continue to show you unrelenting love, strength, and grace as you walk out this season and your life. Your family is amazing!!!! Truly a reflection of heaven in so many ways. I am sure that the challenges are overwhelming and I pray that God would reveal himself daily to your children in ways that cannot be denied or missed. That everyday God would shower them with love, strength and healing deep within them. Blessings!
thank you for speaking such truth and honesty. your family is absolutely precious. i am so sorry for your tragic losses. all of them. i’m going to pray for you now.
There are so many tragedies, hurts, losses is life that we, as humans, don’t understand why. Our hope must be in Christ and by faith know that He works thing out for His glory. God bless you.
But the Lord said, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear My name…” Acts 9:15
Clay
The trials of life will certainly assail me.
If I stay as hard clay
devoid of any spiritual moisture
these culminating cataclysms
can but break me into dust;
no use at all, and must be swept away.
But if I take in the Living Water,
this penetrating daily dew of His Holy Word
absorbed into my soul, soft clay
then the constant pressures of life
will become useful actions
in the Potter’s hands to mold me,
fold me, work out my impurities
as He forms me into a useful instrument;
a chosen vessel.
By VanDel Steel
(Guard you soul; steel it in Christ)
your story really encourages us..
god is a god who gives and takes away.
may he reigns forever!
Hi Renee and family,
I just wanted to share. I was at a worship retreat Derek led in Winthrop, MA. On the first night, the only night I could attend, he ended with a repeated refrain “Perfect love casts out, every fear inside.” He made a major impact because God was working through him. You are in my prayers.
More of you Jesus…over Renee and her children. Send your angels to sing over her tonight.. .A song of victory a song of joy…You heard …she said …you are enough. Amem