What are we to do when tragedy befalls us, and one close to us is struggling for their life? Or what do we do when we are confronted with a life-changing diagnosis, illness, or injury? Who do we turn to? How do we find comfort, peace, and encouragement?

I hope this blog post will serve as just that, with words and music of encouragement for my youngest nephew who is battling to reclaim his life after a severe accident, and for his family, who is trying to stay strong for him and each other, to deal with the day to day demands of his health condition, as well as the mental anguish and heavy hearts. I hope they all may use the music to help heal their hearts, unburden their souls, lift their spirits, and encourage their son/brother to fight the good fight and battle back to health and happiness.

While I have used the following video clip from the Netflix Marvel Comics show “Daredevil” in a previous blog, a tribute to my brother, the youngest of 3 Storo boys befalling a tragedy, it seems appropriate here too. “God’s Plan is like a beautiful tapestry. And the tragedy of being human is we only get to see it from the back, with all the ragged threads and the muddy colors. We only get a hint at the true beauty of what would be revealed if we could see the whole pattern on the other side as God does.”

And God has offered words of comfort and encouragement in His Holy Scriptures, which often serve as the them of most of the songs included in the playlist.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish now what is being done, the saving of many lives.

genesis 50:20

This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will help you.’

2 Kings 20:5

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. ‘

jeremiah 29:11

‘But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord.

jeremiah 30:17

In the morning when I rise
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Oh Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Oh give me Jesus

GIVE ME JESUS – FERNANDO ORTEGA

I speak the name of Jesus over you
In your hurting, in your sorrow
I will ask my God to move
I speak the name ’cause it’s all that I can do
In desperation, I’ll seek Heaven
And pray this for you

I speak the name of all authority
Declaring blessings, every promise
He is faithful to keep
I speak the name no grave could ever hold
He is greater, He is stronger
He’s the God of possible

I pray for your healing
That circumstances would change
I pray that the fear inside would flee in Jesus name
I pray that a breakthrough would happen today
I pray miracles over your life in Jesus name
In Jesus name

In Jesus Name (God of Possible) – Katy Nichols

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

When friends betray us
And when darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It’s not our home

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if the thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

Blessings – Laura Story

Peace, be still
Calm this soul
I need You here now
Restore my hope
I confess, I’ve been afraid
Remind my heart, Lord
Increase my faith

So I will run into the waves
As courage comes to take fear’s place
With perfect love, perfect love

O, what can take away
My hallelujah
No darkness can contain
My hallelujah
Your cross has made the way
For my hallelujah
My hallelujah

My Hallelujah – Bryan & Katie Torwalt

I believe You’re my healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe

And I believe You’re my portion
I believe You’re more than enough for me
Jesus You’re all I need

You hold my very moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease

I trust in You, Lord I trust in You

Healer – Kari Jobe

This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you’re broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark

Healing Beings – Tenth Avenue North

Healing is here healing is here
Healing is here and I receive it
Healing is here healing is here
Healing is here and I believe it

I reach my hands to the heavens
I lift my eyes where my help comes from
I look to You my rock my healer
I trust in You

Freedom is here freedom is here
Freedom is here and I receive it
Freedom is here freedom is here
Freedom is here and I believe it

Sickness can’t stay any longer
Your perfect love is casting out fear
You are the God of all power
And it is Your will that my life is healed

Healing Is Here – Deluge

Every anxious thought that steals my breath
It’s a heavy weight upon my chest
As I lie awake and wonder what the future will hold
Help me to remember that You’re in control

I will lift my eyes, I will lift my cares
Lay them in Your hands, I’ll leave them there
When the wind and waves are coming, You shelter me
Even though I’m in the storm, the storm is not in me

You’re my courage when I worry in the dead of night
You’re my strength ’cause I’m not strong enough
to win this fight
You are greater than the battle raging in my mind
I will trust You Lord, I will fear no more

I Will Fear No More – The Afters

Let faith arise
In spite of what I see
Lord, I believe
But help my unbelief
I choose to trust You
No matter what I feel
Let faith arise

Let faith arise
For my Champion’s not dead
He is alive
Oh, and He already knows
My every need
Surely He will come and rescue me

God of miracles come
We need Your supernatural love
To break through
Nothing’s impossible
You’re the God of miracles

Let faith arise
And see the Kingdom come
I lift my eyes
Oh, for the battle has been won
My God is faithful
Oh, and every single word He said is true
This world is shaking

But You cannot be shaken
My heart is breaking
But I’m not broken yet
Your love is fearless
Help me to be courageous too
Oh, there is nothing impossible

God of Miracles – Chris McClarney

Oh, my soul
Oh, how you worry
Oh, how you’re weary, from fearing you lost control
This was the one thing, you didn’t see coming
And no one would blame you, though
If you cried in private
If you tried to hide it away, so no one knows
No one will see, if you stop believing

Oh, my soul
You are not alone
There’s a place where fear has to face the God you know
One more day, He will make a way
Let Him show you how, you can lay this down
‘Cause you’re not alone

Oh My Soul – Casting Crowns

Letting go of every single dream
I lay each one down at Your feet
Every moment of my wandering
Never changes what You see
I’ve tried to win this war, I confess
My hands are weary, I need Your rest
Mighty warrior, King of the fight
No matter what I face, You’re by my side

Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings
There’s not a day ahead You have not seen
So in all things be my life and breath
I want what You want, Lord, and nothing less

You are my strength and comfort
You are my steady hand
You are my firm foundation
The rock on which I stand
Your ways are always higher
Your plans are always good
There’s not a place where I’ll go
You’ve not already stood

When You don’t move the mountains
I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust
I will trust in You

Trust In You – Lauren Daigle

He came to walk in truth and grace
Man of sorrows entered all our pain
On the cross, He took our place
Then He rose up out of the grave

Whether I’m in want or plenty
Whether I’m in health or ill
Our God promises His children
He will, He will

He’ll bind up the brokenhearted
Oh He will, oh He will
He’ll set captives free from darkness
So He will, oh He will
He’ll breathe hope into the hopeless
Help a restless soul be still
Oh oh, oh oh
He will, He will!

He Will – Ellie Holcomb

If I let go of it all
I need You to break my fall
Like a faithful child
I’m calling out to You
I’m reaching out for You

I’m giving up, I’m letting go
‘Cause I need You to take control
I’m giving up, I’m letting go
I’m trusting You with all my soul

With All My Soul – Jaci Velasquez

Life can take our breath away
Tragedy can leave a wake
A broken heart won’t ever beat the same
Pain can stop us in our tracks
Losing what we can’t get back
Shaking the foundations of our faith

No matter what’s in my way
No matter the battles I face

The questions keep us in the fight
The answer’s never black or white
We may not know until the other side
But even in this in-between
We fix our eyes on what’s unseen
The shadows never overcome the light

No matter what’s in my way
I know that You won’t ever change

You’re still my hope
You’re still my peace
You’re still my joy
You’re all I need
You’re still my strength
When I am weak
You’re still my God
I still believe

You are still my God
You’re still my rock
My only hope Lord, You’re all I’ve got
In every valley or mountaintop
I’ll say hallelujah
You’re still my God

Amadeo (Still My God) – Ryan Stevenson

The name of Jesus is a refuge
A shelter from the storm, a help to those who call
The name of Jesus is a fortress
A saving place to run, a hope unshakable

When we fall You are the Savior,
when we call You are the answer
There is power in Your name,
there is power in Your name

In the name of Jesus
There is life and healing
Chains are broken in Your name
Every knee will bow down and our hearts will cry out
Songs of freedom in Your name, oh, in Your name

Bring salvation, bring Your Kingdom
Let all that You have made bring glory to Your name
When we fall you are the Savior,
when we call You are the answer
There is power in Your name, there is power in Your name

The Name of Jesus – Chris Tomlin

In Your light, I find the pieces, every missing part
And hope is found in hopeless places, everywhere You are
Take my hand and lead me forward, forward to the start

‘Cause I need You, I need You
It only takes a moment
For You to fix what’s broken in me
I need You

Only Takes a Moment – Cory Asbury

I call, You hear me 
I’ve lost it all 
And it’s more than I can bear 
I feel so empty

You’re strong 
I’m weary 
I’m holdin’ on 
But I feel like givin’ in 
But still You’re with me 

I know I’m broken 
But You alone 
Can mend this heart of mine 
You’re always with me

And even though I feel so lonely 
Like I’ve never been before 
You never said it would be easy 
But You said you’d see me through 
The storm

And even though I’m walkin’ through 
The valley of the shadow 
I will hold tight to the hand of Him 
Whose love will comfort me 
And when all hope is gone 
And I’ve been wounded in the battle 
He is all the strength that I will 
Ever need 
And He will carry me

He Will Carry Me – Mark Schultz

Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
But it’ll be alright

Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

Overcome the odds
When you don’t have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

What Faith Can Do – Kutless

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path 
When I feel afraid
Think I’ve lost my way
Still you’re there right beside me
And nothing will I fear
As long as you are near
Please be near me to the end

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path

Thy word – amy grant

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
He restoreth my soul
And guides my path in righteousness
For His name’s sake

Surely goodness and loving kindness
Shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever and ever and ever

Though I walk through the valley
Of the shadow of death
I will not fear, thou art with me
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me
Thou preparest a table
Before me in the presence of my enemies

Thou anointest my head with oil
My cup’s overflowing

Surely goodness and loving kindness
Shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever and ever and ever

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want

The Lord Is My Shepherd – Keith Green

Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle
of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

You Never Let Go – Matt Redman

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
And now I surrender (I surrender)

Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever, author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

Mighty To Save – Jeremy Camp

There is strength within the sorrow
There is beauty in our tears
And you meet us in our mourning
With a love that cast out fear
You are working in our waiting
You’re sanctifying us
When beyond our understanding
You’re teaching us to trust

You are wisdom unimagined
Who could understand your ways
Reigning high above the heavens
Reaching down in endless grace
You’re the lifter of the lowly
Compassionate and kind
You surround and you uphold me
And your promises are my delight

Your plans are still to prosper
You have not forgotten us
You’re with us in the fire and the flood
You’re faithful forever
Perfect in love
You are sovereign over us

Sovereign Over Us – Michael W. Smith

When I am alone
Oh, when I am alone
And when I am alone
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus, give me Jesus
Give me Jesus, ‘cause it’s all I need, give me Jesus

Give me jesus – jeremy camp

My heart goes out to my nephew along with his siblings, my brother, sister-in-law, and my mom, and to all those affected by this tragedy. Our family has known tragedy over the years, including the untimely deaths of my father and brother (included in tributes in previous blogs). I hope and pray for the healing of mind, body, heart and soul of my nephew; for encouragement of his long road back to life, love, joy, and happiness; and for strength and encouragement for his family to similarly return to life, love, joy and happiness. It is what God has promised us. We trust in Him and rest in His loving arms amidst tears and sadness as we look to the light.