Rainbows Through The Storm: Facing Tragedy, Finding Faith

By Holly Campbell

Rainbows through the Storm shares a mother's story of her struggle with grief and faith. Her family endured one of life's worst nightmares, the deaths of two children.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886850857

Book preview

Rainbows Through The Storm

Facing Tragedy, Finding Faith

Holly Campbell

Copyright © 2023 by Holly Campbell

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Edited by Ron Carr

Cover artwork by Carol Ellis

Cover design by Nathan Parson

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

This book is dedicated to my children Sarah, Dustin, and Stephen Campbell. Two are in Heaven and one is here on earth providing love and joy and giving us hope for the future.

Sarah Danelle Campbell

(December 2, 1979–June 14, 2000)

Dustin Lee Campbell

(February 25, 1983–September 29, 2001)

Stephen Dale Campbell was born on August 30, 1988, and is my reason to continue. Thank you, Stephen, for being my son and supporting me.

Letter to God

April 3, 2004

Dear God,

I don’t understand. Why did You let my children die? Did You think they would be better off in Heaven than here with me? Wasn’t I doing a good job? Was it because of sin in my life? I wish I knew the answers. I try to have faith. I know You are taking better care of them than I did, but I miss them, and I feel like I need them more than You do. Their deaths affect everything I do, and I never stop thinking about them.

Philippians 4:13 says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. I know I wouldn’t survive if I didn’t believe in You, so I cling to special Bible verses like this one. Another is Psalm 46:10, Be still, and know that I am God. I began quoting that one to myself when Sarah died, and it has helped me. Still, it is so hard to understand.

When I start believing Satan’s lies, I get frustrated and angry with You, myself, and everyone around me. It’s not fair that Stephen has to grow up without a sister or brother. But God, with Your help, we will survive.

My friend Tom has asked me to think about writing a book to help others. I am willing to try. But Lord, I will need Your help because I don’t want this to be just another book about grief with shallow advice and pat answers. I want Sarah’s and Dustin’s life to be used, not wasted. I want this to give hope to someone who is going through tough times. Lord, I am committing this book to You, and I need Your love and grace. So here goes.

Love,

Holly

Foreword

By Dr. Tom Fuller

I met Holly Campbell in a cemetery on a gray overcast day in the Texas Panhandle after a funeral I had preached for a young man who took his own life. Holly and her husband Danny stood in support near the grieving family. Afterward, Holly stepped up, introduced herself, and later led me across the cemetery where she showed me the graves of her daughter Sarah and her son Dustin.

Despite their double tragedy, the Campbells’ attitude was courageous, positive, and even heroic in my estimation. Since then, Holly and I have carried on many conversations about death, repeatedly returning to questions so many have asked down through the centuries: why does God let good Christian families suffer great loss? If the Holy Spirit is our helper and protector, why did He not help and protect Sarah and Dustin? Even before their births, Holly and Danny had asked the Lord to protect their children from harm. Did God ignore those prayers? Does praying for our families do any good? If God had our kids in His mind from the foundations of time, why does He allow their seemingly senseless deaths before they can fulfill His purposes? If God is omniscient (all knowing) and omnipotent (all-powerful), couldn’t He have stepped in and prevented their deaths if He had wanted to? Why do self-centered, destructive, purposeless people live on and on while the good die young? The bewildered author of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes wrote, "In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of