How do you keep going when your whole world has been turned upside down? When the life you knew is gone, and the future you imagined looks nothing like you expected?

In February of 2022, Markie Ribera and her husband, Carlos, lost their four young children - Kathryn, Kaleb, Kristian, and Kasper - along with Markie's mother in a devastating house fire. In a single night, they lost not only the people they loved most, but also their home and nearly everything that connected them to the life they'd known.

In this first half of our conversation, Markie shares sweet memories of each of her children and takes us back to the events surrounding that tragic night. She talks openly about the early days of grief and the difficult questions she's wrestled with about God's sovereignty.

One especially powerful moment comes as Markie reflects on the biblical account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God was able to rescue them from the fiery furnace, yet He did not spare her children from the fire. How do we reconcile those realities and continue trusting Him?

Markie's story reminds us that keeping going doesn't mean leaving our grief behind. It means learning to carry our sorrow while holding tightly to the One who promises never to leave us.

I hope you'll come back next week as Markie and I talk about finding joy alongside grief, welcoming new life into their family, and the beautiful meaning behind the words Keep Going, Really!

Links and Resources

• Markie's website: Keep Going, Really! — Her family's story, blog, and the worship video recorded shortly after the fire.
• Markie's blog post: Even IF — Her reflections on God's sovereignty and the story of the fiery furnace.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! ~Jill

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

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