Zig Ziglar - Confessions of a Grieving Christian

Dedicated to the memory of
Suzan Ziglar Witmeyer

Beautiful, much-loved daughter,
loving wife, devoted mother,
and faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ

FOREWORD

ZIG ZIGLAR is known around the world as a great communicator. His name is synonymous with success. Multiplied thousands have been encouraged, educated, and motivated by his inspirational words. But Zig's dynamic communication is far more than words.

As his pastor, I have had the privilege to know this man well. He and his lovely wife, Jean, are active members of our church. So, when the Ziglars walked through the valley of the shadow with their precious daughter Suzan, it was my privilege to be by their side.

Zig is the most up person I know, but then he was down. The man who took us to the top and beyond was looking at the bottom. It was then, facing one of life's dark times, that Zig's faith shone brightly. You see, through the years, this godly man has been telling us that true happiness is found in Jesus Christ. He has taught us to look beyond our problems and see possibilities. To see, through pain, the promises of God.

So I was not surprised that Zig and Jean faced the raw reality of death and grief with faith, hope, and love. Though the sorrow was deep and agonizing, they stood firm upon God's Word and the deep convictions developed over years and years of trusting and obeying God.

When you read Confessions of a Grieving Christian, you will realize, more than ever, that Zig's faith is real and that his fire still burns. This book is not about sentimentality. It deals with one of the most difficult subjects known to mankind. The message is honest, thoughtful, and spiritual.

Zig allows us to look into his soul, and he shares his grief that we might discover God's grace. It was a painful experience for him to write this book, but this triumphant believer wanted others to be comforted and helped by his loss. I predict that this will become Zig's most loved book. Grief touches us all. The message shared in these pages will embrace you, comfort you, and strengthen you. You will learn some of life's most important lessons from a man who has lived what he writes.

Thank you, Zig, for opening up your grieving heart and pouring out your personal testimony of God's love and power. You have given us something that will last forever.

Dr. Jack Graham
Senior Pastor
Prestonwood Baptist Church
Dallas, Texas

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

IT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT to properly address all of the individuals involved in the creation of any work and thank them for the contributions they have made. So many have been so significant that words seem inadequate. I know we've had the countless prayers of people I will never meet and many others whom I know only casually. There is no question but that God heard their prayers as this project extended over a three-year period.

I begin with my editor, who is my youngest daughter, Julie Ziglar Norman. Without her insight and her love for her sister and for me, many elements of this book would have been less meaningful. Both of us have shed many tears in the process of the writing. Interestingly enough, Julie's tears came less during the assembling of the book for which she was primarily responsible and more after the technical aspects were completed when she read through the book as a whole rather than as a project. She cried throughout the final reading. What a marvelous help she has been, and what a delight she is!

I'm deeply indebted to my faithful executive assistant of twenty-plus years, Laurie Magers, who is as close to being a member of the family as one can get without being a family member. She loved Suzan deeply, and she wept as she transcribed my dictation. Her help and insight were invaluable.

My son-in-law Jim Norman, Julie's husband, who contributed the diary of events leading up to Suzan's death, was very helpful and added considerably to the book.

My pastor, Jack Graham, suggested the title for the book, contributed the Foreword, and allowed me to quote from some of his sermons. Paige Patterson, at a critical time in my life after Suzan's death, offered some extremely valuable counsel, as did Ike Reighard, James Merritt, O. S. Hawkins, W. A. Criswell, and John Maxwell. In the fifteen days before Suzan's death, no one could have been more loving, kind, considerate, or compassionate than John and Charlotte West, who are a big part of Prestonwood Baptist Church. They were magnificent in their visits, faithfulness in prayer, and encouragement. Jim Lewis, Suzan's pastor, a rock of faith, was encouraging and helpful to us, as was Michael FinCannon, who has been a friend and counselor to our family for many years.

The love and support of each of my children and my sons-and daughter-in-law have been factors in the creation and completion of this book, as have been the anonymous sources that I usedeach contributed a part to this work. To all of you, I am indebted and deeply grateful for the contribution you made.

As always, the one who means the most to me is my beautiful wife, Jean, whose constant love, encouragement, support, and empathetic expressions of understanding throughout the process of writing this book have made this labor of love possible. Her subtle but significant changes in the thoughts and words added much to its spiritual depth.

INTRODUCTION
EIGHT YEARS LATER

OF ALL THE THINGS I've ever done, the most difficult and yet the most rewarding and cleansing experience of my lifewas writing this book. I'm convinced that Confessions of a Grieving Christian was inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit. Writing it provided an outlet for my own grief. I've had the privilege of writing twenty-three books, nine of which were best sellers, but I get more letters on this one than all my other books combined. Grief is pervasive. You never get over it, but you do learn to recognize and live with it.

In looking back over these eight years and looking ahead to the future, I've come to be more grateful than ever before that God trusted us with Suzan for forty-six years. She brought incredible joy into our lives and increased our faith. It was rewarding to watch the one who initially rejected Christ finally embrace Him as Lord and Savior and become a living testimony for Him. I believe all parents who have trusted Christ will tell you that the most joyful experience of their lives occurred when their child or children asked Christ into their hearts. In our case, knowing that we will be reunited in heaven with Suzan gives us unbelievable joy and makes our grief more bearable. This does not mean that our tears are gone. Even after eight years as I write these few thoughts my eyes are again filled with tears that express my love and longing for Suzan more clearly than any words we could utter.

In a physical sense, I've felt a little closer to Suzan since I had my own glance into eternity on February 22, 2002. That day I suffered a severe attack of diverticulitis, lost six pints of blood, and experienced a Code Blue at the hospital. I had sensed that my life was vulnerable, and I felt so strongly that God still had things for me to do that I asked Him to extend my life.

I was privileged to see the angel God sent to be with me at the time of the Code Blue. No one else saw him sitting in a chair across the room, but I got a close look at what appeared to be a man of about fifty-five years old, wearing a hat and a tan suit. He half smiled at me and gave me a little hand signal that indicated to me that everything was going to be fineand it was.