Survivor

ByLyli

Survivor Buff

My best friend likes to watch true crime shows, but she doesn’t have cable at her house.  So, I agreed to DVR a couple of her favorite shows, and every few weeks, she comes over for a viewing party.   I sit beside her on the couch and attempt to not squirm too much as the blood and gore flashes on the screen.

One of the shows she enjoys is called “I Survived.”  Here is the Biography Channel’s description of the series:

“What would you do if you were confronted with death? What gives someone the strength to survive? Is it luck, chance, instinct? In a stripped-down, simple-yet-cinematic interview style, I Survived… allows survivors to explain, in their own words, how they overcame unbelievable circumstances — offering insight into what got them through the experience that changed their lives forever.

I Survived… is storytelling at its most dramatic, most basic and most honest.”

The stories highlighted on this show are HORRIFYING, but they are all true stories told in first person by the actual survivor.  Every episode ends with the “survivors” explaining in their own words why they felt they survived a very traumatic incident.

Last year was a very difficult year at our house — death, sickness, depression.   I am so thankful to be “on the other side” of a traumatic season for our  marriage.  When I look back at the year, I know why I survived.

I survived because

  • My Help  comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth (Psalms 121:2).
  • Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world (I John 4:4)
  • With God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37)
  • God sent His word and healed me and delivered me from destruction (Psalms 107:20).
  • The Lord stood with me and strengthened me (I Timothy 4:17).
  • He never leaves me nor forsakes me (Heb 13:5)
  • The Lord is my strength and shield (Psalms 28:7).
  • God works all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28)
  • The Lord alone makes me dwell in safety (Psalms 4:8).
  • His mercies are new every morning.  Great is His faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Q4U:  Are you a “survivor buff”?  What verse have you hung on to during a difficult season?

My one-word focus for the year is “fruitilicious.”  Find out what that means here.

Thanks for stopping by!  I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Joining like-minded sisters today at Thought-Provoking Thursday, Tell His Story, Hear it on Sunday: Use it on Monday and Playdates with God.

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Photo Credit:  Jyn Meyer
 

22 Comments

      2. I am a 2 time cancer survivor. And got thru both of them without relying on Jesus because I hadn’t asked Him in my heart until years after my 2nd cancer. But today, I can surely tell you that He WAS alongside me, protecting me, encouraging me, and loving me. My life verse is Phil 4:13, ” I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”

        Reply

          1. I know violence isn’t always the answer. But sometimes it gets a point across. We could just use big foam mal.etslBesides, we’d ask politely before we hit them (and during). I think you’re pretty swell. And just want to help. Take care my dear.

          3. Aman, I completely agree. Gray was too perfect, and while we read for the escape, I believe that we also read for the potential realism there might be in contemporary romance. With Gray being THE perfect hero, it was largely unrealistic.

          4. Great article.You're right. It is indeed very disturbing that Obama's people are targeting media figures. It's an attack on the first (and in my opinion) that most important amendment.Shavua tov.

  2. This is truth at its finest. Spoken from a true survivor :). May the days ahead be brighter, Lyli. Thank you for letting us be the beneficiaries of your difficult season.

    Reply

  3. I could probably tell a survivor tale or two, Lyli. And I’m grateful to hear your story of survival, and I love that the ways God has been your help are woven all throughout your list and, I’m sure, life as well. Thanks for sharing the hope of a new and brighter tomorrow with Christ as our Savior and guide, my friend.

    Reply

  4. I read “The Survivors’ Club” recently and it was so enlightening about what that survivor’s instinct really is and how it works. Even though it was a secular book, they still had to acknowledge the supernatural because of how often it IS a major factor.

    I’m not sure how strong my will to survive here would be, if put to the test; the alternative of face-to-face with Jesus might propel me to let go of this earthly body given the opportunity. 🙂

    Reply

  5. Dear Lyli
    Your list looks just about the same as mine!! What would we ever do without our Pappa’s great faithfulness! Great post, dear friend, thanks.
    Much love XX
    Mia

    Reply

  6. I am thinking of Micah 7:7-8 and Ps. 3:3. You are right. God sends his Word and we find healing. Yes, I am a survivor, but I want to be a “thriver.” 🙂

    Reply

  7. Hi Lyli! I am coming to you from Thought Provoking Thursday.

    I am so happy that you are safely on the other side of your challenges. What a burden to be lifted. And your reasons for ‘survival’ are so beautiful. Your faith is a real model for us all. God does work together for good, and you are proof of that!

    Always good to see you 🙂
    Ceil

    Reply

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