VL - Issue 42 - January 2022

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God wanted to change me. He wanted me to trust Him and quit trying to control my son and every outcome in life. moment of his life. You love him more than I do, and he is as much Your son as he is mine. I don’t know what else to do, God. I’m giving Joe back to You.” Suddenly, I remembered how God had tested Abraham’s loyalty and love by instructing him to bring his son, Isaac, to Mount Moriah and sacrifice him there (Genesis 22). Abraham didn’t know what would happen, but he trusted God with Isaac’s life. So I prayed and told God that I trusted Him with Joe’s life. That night, I dreamed I was walking up a mountain. Everything around me was dusty; even the rocks were the color of desert sand. Then I heard a small voice, like a whisper, saying, “Unto death?” The question stopped me cold. Who would be asking that? Surely not God. But that same small voice asked again, “Unto death?” “Yes!” I answered. “Even unto death. I promise, God; I will never second-guess You again.” Proverbs 3:5 came to mind: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Suddenly, everything went impenetrably dark, and then, an internal explosion jolted through my body. I was buffeted around like a flag in a hurricane. It was as if every cell of my body was on fire separately and simultaneously. I was sure I would die before I could wake up. Fighting for my life, I struggled to yell, and I tried to push Jim, but I couldn’t. I woke up twisting and moaning. I thought I wouldn’t be able to stand or walk, but I had no trouble getting out of bed. I seemed to be okay. What in the world? I told Jim we had to go to Urgent Care. Something was wrong. I wasn’t about to risk another night like the one I’d just survived! The doctor, however, couldn’t find any medical explanation for what had happened, and, hours later, sent us home. Jim and Maureen with their young family. On the way back, the display on my phone lit up. It said, “Unknown Caller.” “It’s just a telemarketer,” I thought. “I won’t answer.” I fumbled to silence the phone but accidentally answered instead. A voice asked, “Is this Maureen Hooker?” “Yes.” “Are you the mother of Joseph Patrick Hooker?” “Yes.” I put the phone on speaker, and Jim pulled off the road. An officer identified himself and proceeded to tell me that my son had called 911 that morning at 10:55 to report a shooting in his apartment. By the time they got there, Joe had shot himself. He was gone. Jim and I sat there, stunned. It’s hard to describe the pain of the next few months. Time was suspended in a daily fog of guilt and self-incrimination. Surely there was some way I could have prevented Joe’s death. What if Jim and I had told him about our family issues instead of avoiding them? What if we had talked about the generational gambling in Jim’s family and the fact that both his father and his grandfather had committed suicide? What if we’d explained to Joe why we were so against his choices. Would my son still be alive? Months later, I discovered the paperwork from my urgent care visit. In the havoc that followed Joe’s death, I had forgotten about that. Then the words “unto death” came to mind, and I remembered Proverbs 3:5. I suddenly remembered the dream and that strange physical wrestling and pain. Had I experienced some of the turmoil my son had been going through that night? Maybe. I am not sure. But what I do know is that God spoke those words and gave me that verse just hours before my son took his life. “Trust Me, Maureen,” He was saying, “even though life is headed in a direction you don’t want to go. Trust Me, even though you won’t have all the answers to your questions. Trust Me, even if this situation ends in death. Lean into Me, and I will carry you.” It’s been three years since Joe’s death, and this momma’s heart still aches for her son. I continue to question myself, and I still wrestle with guilt at times. Survivors of suicide victims often encounter debilitating guilt for years. But I’ve also given my questions and guilt to God and, as I trust Him, He has given me peace and even joy. What a great exchange! He takes my burdens and gives my heart and mind rest. He truly is the Savior of my soul. You can have rest and be free of guilt, too. “Come to Me,” Jesus says in Matthew 11:28–29, “And I will give you rest.” And He will—but the key to God’s rest is found in Proverbs 3:5—trusting God, His love, His heart, and His plan for you and your loved ones—even “unto death.” The faithful love of God will not fail you. MAUREEN HOOKER is a mother, wife, and friend. She is a heart transplant recipient who is living proof that miracles do happen. She would be eternally grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ if what is written here can benefit someone else. 32 Issue 01 / 2022 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
GOING DEEPER: Trust Your Creator All Scripture referenced here is from the New Living Translation. Every author in this issue had a choice— they could continue to struggle down a path destined for chaos, confusion, and destruction or surrender their lives and circumstances to the Lord and trust Him to work out the details. As you’ve read, each author trusted God’s love and His plan, and God made a way through every trial. What do you need to surrender to God? What do you need to overcome? Have your best efforts and thinking failed you? Identify some situations where you struggle to give God control: 1. 2. 3. Friends, we cannot solve our problems, change our attitudes, beat our addictions, or turn from our old lifestyles on our own. We need God’s help. That’s why He sent His Son. Believing in Jesus’s work on the cross not only secures our eternal salvation but ensures our earthly victories too. Grab your Bible, pen, and notebook, and let’s take a deep look into the following scriptures: Deuteronomy 31:8 Joshua 1:9 Psalms 9:10, 28:7, 34:17–18, 37:5, 55:22, 56:3, 112:7 Proverbs 3:5–6, 18:10 Isaiah 26:3–4, 41:10 Jeremiah 17:7–8 Matthew 6:25–34 2 Corinthians 12:9 Philippians 4:6–7 Hebrews 4:16 1 Peter 5:7 2 Timothy 1:7 Write these scriptures down and focus on their promises. For example, did you see in Deuteronomy 31:8, that God promises to personally go ahead of you, to be with you, and to never fail or abandon you? Commit these promises to memory. Ask God to write them on your heart. That way, you can recall them in times of trouble. They will be life to you. When you understand how insufficient you are apart from God and surrender your life to Him, He’ll begin a transformation process in your heart and mind. He’ll make you an overcomer in every situation (Romans 8:37). DO YOU NEED REST? “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” –Matthew 11:28 Jared Emerson, Artist, jaredemerson.com Do you need rest? Peace? Freedom? Forgiveness? Restoration? Call out to Jesus, accept Him as your Savior, and be made whole. Pray: “Jesus, I invite You into my life. I confess that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. Thank You for saving me from my sins and making me whole. Thank You for laying down Your life for me so that I can have a new life in You. I receive, by faith, this forgiveness of sin. Take my life, my past and my future. Guide my steps and speak to my heart, Lord. Use me, God. Amen.” Let us know of your decision so we can help you grow in your faith. Write to: VL Correspondence, PO Box 2751, Greenville, NC 27836. VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM Issue 01 / 2022 33
Page 1 and 2: REAL PEOPLE | REAL STORIES | REAL H
Page 3 and 4: ISSUE 1, JANUARY 2022 Trust in the
Page 5 and 6: ISSUE 1, JANUARY 2022 CONTENTS 8 9
Page 7 and 8: Through the stories of Victorious L
Page 9 and 10: STEPPING FORWARD SERVE WITH GLADNES
Page 11 and 12: TRANSFORMED LIVES heart to Him and
Page 13 and 14: negative emotions and turned the we
Page 15 and 16: STEPPING FORWARD TRUTHS TO REMEMBER
Page 17 and 18: PHOTO BY HALEY MANNING PHOTOGRAPHY
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Page 21 and 22: PHOTO BY MARY WHITMER escape the ri
Page 23 and 24: PHOTO BY MARY WHITMER I knew I did
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Page 27 and 28: TRANSFORMED LIVES PHOTO BY JIM WHIT
Page 29 and 30: STEPPING FORWARD PHOTO BY TASHI-DEL
Page 31: PHOTO BY GERI SIMPKINS vious that I

VL - Issue 42 - January 2022

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