Beyond the Valley: Finding Hope in Life's Losses

Our Daily Bread writer Dave Branon never expected to have valleys on the topographical map of his life. A trusting Christian, he was enjoying a life of blessing with his wife and four children. While life wasn't always perfect, Dave and his family were traveling on the road to peace and contentment, toward the mountain and far from the valley.Until a beautiful spring evening in June 2002 when his daughter Melissa--a vivacious, talented, happy seventeen-year-old--was killed instantly when she was in a car accident on her way home from a day at the lake with her friends.Dave describes the effect this had on him and his family: Our lives veered off the path we thought would be ours for the rest of our time on earth. We . . . went straight into the valley--an unfamiliar, dark, and deep ravine of near hopelessness.Beyond the Valley has grown out of Dave's own journey and his desire to provide spiritual hope for the hurting. He writes honestly about the challenges he has faced, applying the light of Scripture to the darkest corners of life in the valley and providing questions for personal reflection that will encourage you on the path to hope.Walk with me, won't you? Dave asks. Together, we can find hope, solace, comfort, and sometimes even joy--while seeking to go beyond the valley.…