Schuchmann Jennifer - When God doesnt fix it: lessons you never wanted to learn, truths you cant live without

PRAISE FOR WHEN GOD DOESNT FIX IT

This book is a must-read. My wife, Carol, and I have had the privilege of witnessing much of what is described in this book. I will assure you, it is the real story. Get ready to be encouraged, challenged, and taught well when you read When God Doesnt Fix It.

RANDY POPE
PASTOR OF PERIMETER CHURCH

Ive sat on stage and watched Laura minister with song to those who were hurting, and I know the story of her life will help to heal many more who are struggling with their own brokenness. Together, our family has been ministered to by her vulnerability and willingness to walk in the valley and still say God, I Trust You.

STEVEN CURTIS AND MARY BETH CHAPMAN
GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING ARTIST AND NEW YORK TIMES
BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Laura is one of my heroes when it comes to trusting God. Shes joyful, genuine, and faithful even though her story includes messy chapters that havent necessarily been fixed. This book will be on my nightstand for a long time!

LISA HARPER
AUTHOR AND BIBLE TEACHER

2015 by Laura Story Elvington

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by W Publishing Group, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. W Publishing Group and Thomas Nelson are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English StandardVersion). Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Italics added to Scripture quotations are the authors emphasis.

Some names and details have been altered to protect the privacy of the individuals involved, and in some scenes composite characters have been created to simplify the story for the reader. Conversations are best recollection of the author and may not be exact.

Direct quotations from The NIV Application Commentary in chapter 10 are taken from Gary M. Burge, John, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000), 27273.

ISBN 978-0-7180-3718-5 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015908304

ISBN 978-0-7180-3697-3

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To Martin

You are still my dream come true

CONTENTS

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:9

THE CALL THAT CHANGED MY LIFE HAPPENED AROUND noon in February 2006. I was in St. Louis attending a conference with two of my coworkers. They sat in the front seat of the rental car with the radio on; I was in the backseat checking my phone messages. As we headed to Panera Bread for lunch, I noticed a voice mail from my husband, Martin, and I called him back. Thats when he gave me the news that dramatically changed the course of our lives and the lives of those closest to us.

Were all just one phone call away from learning the results of a test or the news of an affair, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or a thousand other ways our hope can be shattered.

In that moment, we think life as we know it is over.

The truth is, life, as weve yet to know it, has just begun.

In the summer of 2005, Martin and I had been married a year. We lived rent free in Greenville, South Carolina, near a church where we were working for the summer. Wed just packed up our belongings and sold our house, intending to move to Savannah, Georgia, in the fall so Martin could attend Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). For years, Martin had been the campus director of a college ministry where he led a Bible study and also did graphic design and web development work for Wofford College. Id graduated from Bible college and had dabbled in music, ministry, and helping Martin with the Bible studynone of which paid well. We planned to get jobs in Savannah, and then once Martin was finished with school, wed move back to Spartanburg, South Carolina, to be near our parents. The SCAD degree would help Martin get a well-paying job in the graphic design field, which would allow me to stay home and raise the kids we both wanted to have someday.

That was our plan for a perfect life.

The first detour came when Martins friend John Roland called us from Atlanta. Hey, I know this is crazy, John said to Martin, but I have a job for Laura at my church if you guys are interested in moving to Atlanta.

John worked at Perimeter Church, located in the northern suburbs of Atlanta. The church was seeking a worship leader. In addition, John told us that SCAD had just opened an Atlanta campus. If we moved to Atlanta, Martin could continue school and I would have a job. My last job had been playing bass in a bluegrass band in a Mexican restaurant. In other words, I had no marketable skills, so a position at a church in Atlanta sounded much better than a waitressing job in Savannah.

Martin handed me the phone. Tell me about the job, I said.

John described the duties, which included choosing music for the congregation, leading volunteers, and developing worshippers. But I had never done any of those things. Sure, Id majored in music and played bass in a touring band that had performed at retreats and youth groups, but the only time I ever sang was under duress when our female singer was gone or ill. I didnt know a thing about leading worship.

And the church is looking for somebody who can write worship songs, John continued.

Thats why John is calling me!

In an effort to avoid paying performance fees for the music our touring band covered, everyone in the band was asked to write songs. Id written a few, including one called Indescribable. A year earlier, an executive from a record company called to ask if they could use my song on the CD of a worship leader from Texasa guy named Chris Tomlin. Id agreed, and Tomlins label released Indescribable as a single. The song had just started getting a lot of radio play.

Other than my friends and family (and John), no one knew that the song had been written by the blonde girl who played bass at the Mexican restaurant on Thursdays. Until someone else called it a worship song, I didnt even think of it that way because of all of the five-syllable words in the chorus. Regardless of how the song was doing, neither songwriting nor playing bass in a bluegrass band qualified me to lead a congregation in singing.

John, Ive written a few songs, but when it comes to leading worship..., I said as I prepared to decline his offer.

We offer a steady salary and health insurance, he added.

Wait, you said health insurance? I asked.

Yes, and retirement benefits.

I wasnt a math major, but it didnt take me long to calculate the salary, benefits, and retirement numbers, and compare the total to what I was making at the Mexican restaurantfree burritos and all the chips and salsa I could eat.