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Where is God when things go terribly wrong?

John Ray has been my friend for a very long time. He is the pastor of Grace Church of Northwest Arkansas in Fayetteville, a missionary and a spiritual director … and he knows firsthand about suffering.

John says these four things about himself:

1. “I’m adopted, which has been one of the forming experiences of my life.”
2. “I am married to a phenomenal introvert. Jane Ray is a fantastic woman.”
3.  “I’m the dad of four daughters who are all radically different, one of whom we lost when she was 10 years old.”
4.  “I feel like I won the lottery and didn’t buy a ticket by getting to do what I do.”

John was in the eighth-grade classroom with me when our classmate and friend walked in with a rifle and shot and killed our teacher. His mother attempted suicide not long after. He struggled with the reality of being adopted. And he lost his daughter, Olivia.

But John says this: “If I really find the courage and grace to go into the deepest wounds that I have … God is there. He has never forsaken me, he has never abandoned me, even when the world has been traumatic and evil.”

Listen in to my friend, John Ray. I hope our conversation is an encouragement to you.

SHOW NOTES

• Reach out to John for spiritual direction here.
• Read the Texas Monthly article about the murder here.
• Big shout out and thank you to Austin Christian Fellowship who is sponsoring the podcast.
• ACF wants you to know about The Archibald Project, a non-profit ministry that seeks to help orphans worldwide. To hear more, listen to DD Episode 116 with Whitney Runyon
• Want to find a mentor? Sign to get The Mentor Map free!
• Deeply grateful for Sara Davis Regan for providing her music.
• Keep in the know: Sign up for my newsletter here!

Coming soon! The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life

Dear Daughters is a template for those multi-generational conversations and relationships you’re craving.