08/03/2025
✨ Part 1 – How Losing My Parents Changed Me ✨
I recently watched a video about how grief changes a person, and it hit home for me.
When my dad passed, I was just 21/22 years old — still a “protected child.” Overnight, I became the protector of my mom, my younger siblings, and my nephews. I don’t know where the strength came from because at that time, I wasn’t trusting God or the church like I should have been. People told me, “Your dad will be alright.” But he died. I didn’t care about the spiritual side of things. I wanted my daddy. I was mad at everyone — including my mom.
But God…
He used my mom to restore my faith.
Just a few days after my dad passed, my mom had a stroke. She went mute, and her life was never the same. Then came a heart attack, more strokes, and countless hospital visits. I didn’t understand it. I felt like God was punishing me. My mom was a prayer warrior, an evangelist — I had seen her pray for the sick and watch them be healed.
One night, exhausted from caregiving, it was time to turn her to avoid bed sores. Tears rolled down my face, and she gestured for me to lay beside her. I wept and wailed, asking, “Why can’t you just pray for yourself? Why couldn’t you save my daddy?” She couldn’t respond with words… but she cried with me.
Then the miracles started. Doctors told me what she would “never” do again — but God had other plans. She began turning herself over, getting in and out of bed on her own, and one day, I heard her singing “Jesus.” I took her to church one Sunday, and she demanded to get out of her wheelchair. My mom walked into church with little to no help. She was eating again, moving again, and even speaking a few words.
When it was time to remove her feeding tube, I drove to the hospital on a beautiful, peaceful morning. I walked into her room, and the first thing she did was say my name — “Di” — and then she passed away with the biggest smile on her face.
That day, I understood peace.
Losing my parents so close together changed me. It made me a protector for my family, but more than that — it strengthened my faith in God. I learned to trust Him even when things are tough, even when life feels impossible.
And that’s what Survivors Light is all about — reminding others that grief may change us, but God can still use it to build us, heal us, and draw us closer to Him. 💛
