A Message to the Reader:

Champion of Hope describes my journey of healing through grief and loss. It is about choosing hope over despair. The death of a loved one; the loss of health; the loss of youth during the aging process; and the loss of one’s self-esteem through abuse, addiction, and broken relationships are all depicted in my book.

In the wake of  grieving the death of a mother who suffered from heart disease; a husband who fought and lost the battle with cancer; receiving the tragic diagnosis of a son's schizophrenia; a father who struggled with bondage to alcohol leading him to suicide and while ministering to the sick and elderly; my journey lead me to life-giving hope that only Jesus Christ is able to give.

 Grief is hard work. Effective grieving is never done alone. I recommend GriefShare, a special seminar-type support group designed to help you rebuild your life after losing a loved one. A caring group of people will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. You don’t have to go through the grieving process alone. There are thousands of GriefShare groups across North America, as well as internationally, in over 10 countries worldwide. To find a group near you, log on to www.griefshare.org.

 Although your story of loss may be different than mine in terms of the specifics, you will readily identify with the emotions and trauma that a loss produces. Using personal experiences, Champion of Hope is written to help you “grieve well” as you navigate through your own unique journey of pain.

Many of my days of grief were spent sitting alone on a bench at a nearby park, engaging in heart-wrenching conversations with God. It was there, in my barren season of grief, that the love of God enabled me to envision fields of a life-giving harvest of hope and faith. The field in my book is a symbol of God’s grounding presence in our everyday lives.

I encourage you to likewise spend time with God on your “bench of suffering”—wherever and whatever that may be. And when healing comes, it will allow you to stand strong, to look over the field of your life, and see that each time you chose to trust God and accept His purpose for your life, you were planting seeds of hope and faith. And eventually, the harvest of joy came!

Peace and Joy,

Connie Hale-Duncan