God Will Meet You in the Middle of Your Storm: Patrick & Ruth Schwenk and Harold & Rachel Earls

In each of our lives, there will come a time that we face a season of hardship, of difficulty, even true suffering. But no matter how awful things may seem to be, God is right there to help carry you when you can’t walk on your own. Ministry leaders and authors Ruth & Patrick Schwenk went through a ten-year period in which they had nine pregnancies—five of which sadly ended in miscarriage. After having four healthy children and relocating to Ann Arbor, Michigan to launch a new church, Patrick was suddenly diagnosed with a rare blood cancer, and it sent their family into a tailspin once again. Clinging to God, the Schwenks found a way to cope and survive, trusting in the strength of Jesus to get them through. Former Army Captain Harold Earls and his wife Rachel know all about sacrifice—from a national perspective to a personal one. Early in their marriage, Harold felt called to climb Mt. Everest in support of veteran PTSD and suicide awareness, and in doing so, it terrified Rachel that she’d lose her husband before they could ever start a life together. By turning to God as reassurance that everything would be okay, they made it through the tumultuous climb. Then, as a guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia, Harold began a new mission each day of honoring the men and women who gave their all for their country and relied on his devotional ritual to help keep his mind on God’s purpose for his life. For each couple, looking to Jesus to help them through their toughest struggles helped them realize that God can bring forth good from pain and from sacrifice—and He can give you the strength to help you through the worst of it.

 

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

Jesus Calling Podcast

Jesus Calling devotional

Past interview: Jonathan Pitts

Upcoming interview: Ruth Chou Simons

 

Ruth & Patrick Schwenk

John 3:30

Moody Bible Institute

Psalm 9:10

1 Peter, 1:3-4

In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake: Trusting the God Who Meets Us in Our Storm

 

Harold & Rachel Earls

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Earls Family Vlogs

Earls Fam Foundation

Florida State University

West Point

Mount Everest

Veteran suicide statistics

Arlington National Cemetery

A Higher Calling

 

Interview Quotes:

“I had to give up everything that I had been and I had to follow Him with my whole heart.” - Ruth Schwenk 

“I feel like God used that suffering and that uncertainty and that fear to really deepen my faith because I had a choice. I could either trust Him or I couldn't. And there was literally no earthly thing that I could do to change my situation.” - Ruth Schwenk 

“There are so many ways that chaos and pain and suffering and loss can be places of great anxiety, but they also can be places of great abundance where God is beginning to do something new and something powerful.” - Patrick Schwenk

“We believe that God hears our prayers. He loves us. He desires to take care of us just as His child. He desires to take care of us just like we as a mom or a dad desire to take care of our own child.” - Ruth Schwenk

“I am grateful and it helps me to see the good around me and all the blessings that God has just given me, which really carries me through those hard moments.” - Rachel Earls

“Everything that makes me proud to be an American, I would see on a daily basis [at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier]. And so for me to have the opportunity to serve there with an extraordinary group of young men and women honestly has been a highlight of my life so far and something that I am thankful for.” - Harold Earls

“This country, although we have our flaws, our flaws are still worth fighting for.” - Harold Earls

“Men and women that were so brave, that we don't even know who they are, made those sacrifices for you and I, so that we could have the religious freedoms that we have so that we can worship the God that we worship, so we can go to church on Sunday and say Jesus in public.” - Harold Earls

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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel:

Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH

Video Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PsmEkJ

What’s Good? Playlist: https://bit.ly/3i7VUlZ

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