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From Pain to Purpose🌻

Writer's picture: Eve M. HarrellEve M. Harrell

Updated: Jan 17

Hey, Ya'll! Welcome to Fun Fact Friday. My name is Eve and this is my week in writing. Grab your favorite beverage, and let's chat about pain and purpose.


Today's Fun Fact: Everything you go through is practice for purpose.


This week's writing is dedicated to a dear couple whom I am blessed to call friends. If you've read the Revealed Book Series, you may notice that I'm not afraid to tackle hard topics, and that is the point. If I write about having courage through tribulation, I must write circumstances where courage is needed.


My friends worked for the local police department for many years. They showed more courage in unimaginable circumstances than I could cover in one book. Yet, they are gentle and kind. They love the Lord with all their heart and serve their community well.

When I wrote the kidnapping scene in Revealed Truth, the wife helped me with the technical details from the perspective of a first responder.


Now, it’s the husband’s turn. In Revealed Fire, I have written a fictional scene of grief through the lens of my friend’s personal experience. Let me know your thoughts. 

After several weeks of daily visits to Kalispell, Maddie rocked alongside Mr. Don on his front porch. Jacob, Rory, and Jared were performing their army workups, so she and her friends decided to come and help in their absence.
Maddie enjoyed these afternoons with Mr. Don, even if she couldn’t understand Grammy’s unwillingness to see or talk about him.
A light rain began to fall as she waited for her Aunt Lisa to pick her up. As they rocked, Mr. Don carved a piece of wood while Holly sat at his feet, coloring in a book.
“Mr. Don, can I ask you a question?”
“Why shore, Maddie Ruth, ask away.”
“Why do you use a cane?”
“Hmm, that’d take a while to tell, I’m afraid.”
Embarrassed, she looked away as she said quietly, “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, Girl. Ain’t no law against askin’.”
After a long pause, he said, “It was an evenin’ jes’ like this. I took my Margaret out fer a walk by the barn. She wanted ta see our Trixie, who was set ta foal in the next month. She looked jes’ like our Holly here, and ya know, she was a lot like you, my Margaret. She prayed over ever’ horse afore they went ta sleep.”
Maddie blushed as she realized he knew of her afternoon ritual.
“And she loved to dance.” A long sigh escaped his lips. “I’ve lived here all my life, Maddie Ruth. Bred more fillies than ya can count. Two Derby winners, mind ya.”
“The Kentucky Derby?”
“Yes, ma’am. I never thought God would let somethin’ like that happen on ma land.”
“Papaw don’t talk like that. Mamaw would not stand fer it,” Holly said.
Mr. Don gazed off into the distance. Maddie knew that look. Laying her head back on her chair, she closed her eyes.
“Yer Grammy tole me ‘bout yer friend,” Mr. Don said.
Surprised, Maddie turned and looked at him in shock.
“It’s okay, Girl. Ya know God was with ya when it happ’ned.”
Trying to fight back tears, Maddie whispered, “I know.”
“It’s okay, Maddie. God is here, too,” Holly said as she laid her head on Maddie’s knee.
She wasn’t sure she was ready to share with people who were not in her inner circle.
“My Margaret, she was shot too.”
A flash of empathy tore through Maddie’s heart.
“Like I said, we were walkin’ ta the barn, and thar was a fox in the hen house. Ya see, I’d hired a drifter, someone ta take care a my Trixie, but I didna’ know he had evil motives fer bein’ round.”
“What do you mean?”
“Trixie was a broodmare, like Kali. She bred the best of the best. This drifter knew it. When we were walkin’, we caught ‘im red-handed tryin’ to take off with her.”
“Wait, he tried to steal the horse?”
“Yes, ma’am. My wranglers were gone fer the night. I thought it strange to see a truck backed up to the barn, but I thought one a the guys left somethin’ behind. Didna’ think anythin’ of it. When I heard Trixie yelp, I knew somethin’ was wrong.”
Maddie sat quietly as Mr. Don rubbed his beard.
“I did’na have enough time to grab my gun. The thief saw Margaret and me comin’ ‘round afore we saw him. Margaret ran toward Trixie, and he, well...”
“He shot her, didn’t he?”
The sadness on his face was palpable. “I ran to ma beautiful wife. I heard the pop and felt a flash a pain in my hip, but I did’na care. My Margaret, she needed me.” A tear fell down his face.
“It’s okay, Papaw,” Holly comforted.
Maddie looked at Mr. Don and placed her hand on his.
“My girls, Janey, and Jill came runnin’ out. I couldna’ keep her from ‘em.”
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Don.”
He turned and looked at Maddie with a sad smile. “It’s okay, Maddie Ruth. Thar’s a reason fer our pain, and I’ve made peace with the Good Lord.” He looked at his granddaughter, adding, “Yes, I have, Holly.
“Ya know, this girl right’chere, she’s a gift from the Lord. My daughter Jill’s been raisin’ her right. She’s teachin’ me that the best gift we give to our loved ones is our time. It’s all we got, really—that, and Jesus.” Waving his hand over the ranch, he said, “This here’ll be gone in a flash. But God gave us each other, an we cain’t take it fer granted. Ever'thin' ya go through, Maddie Ruth, why, it’s practice fer purpose.”

Practice for purpose. 


When I asked my friend what he wanted Maddie and her friends to learn, he responded, "Everything you go through is practice for purpose. It took me sixty-five years to learn this truth."


This answer took me on a journey to define purpose: the reason something exists or is done, an intended or desired result, or a goal.


Raise your hand if, at any time in your life, you have set a goal to experience pain. I know, right? Me neither.


Yet pain is real and unavoidable. Finding purpose in our pain, well that's optional.


Mr. Don and Maddie have both experienced deep trauma and while they are similar, their responses are different. Where Maddie focuses on the symptoms and has hidden from her pain, Mr. Don courageously finds purpose in his life and finds peace in the balance.


A verse in the book of James reveals the secret to Mr. Don's peace: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."


Ahh, there it is. "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete."


So, the practice is perseverance and the purpose—to be mature and complete.

It's a game changer if we can grab hold of this hope.


I'll leave this here for now. Today's download includes seven days of prayer prompts to help you persevere in seasons of pain. Grab your copy under free downloads and more below.


Next week, we'll pick it back up and chat about a very important gift that serves a great purpose—grief.


Hit reply or comment below and let me know your thoughts on this scene. And check out today's sweet Christmas children's book, "How the Elf and I Saved Christmas" in my promos and swaps.


As always, I appreciate you!


A Prayer for you:

Father God, we thank You that we do not walk around aimlessly searching for purpose. You have formed us and created every day of our lives with great purpose. Even in moments of pain, we can find the light in the darkness as we realize You are near. Lord, help us see You in our pain and give us a heart like Mr. Don's to see the purpose in our pain. In everything we go through, may we courageously persevere, knowing that You will never leave nor forsake us. Thank You, Lord, that we never walk alone. In Jesus' Name, we pray, amen.


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Eve M. Harrell

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