Judy’s Support Groups include a weight loss support group that meets at noon on the first Tuesday of each month, a cancer support group that meets at 3 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month and a holiday grief support group throughout the Christmas holidays.
Moving Forward As days turned into months, Judy found that she could not get over her grief. No matter what she knew in her heart, she could not seem to let go of the pain. A Christian, she knew on one level that she was not alone, but she found herself staring into space for hours at a time, unable to concentrate or function. Under a doctor’s care, she was grateful for the instructions that made moving forward something she could measure. Her doctor told her that in order to recover, she must do three things: eat, sleep and exercise. Judy joined Fitness Lady in January 1995, and going there daily created some structure even though she might go in the morning and stay all day. There was something soothing about the staff members, who reached out and embraced Judy. When a friend invited her to attend a revival at Canton Christian Center, a very small church in Canton, she was willing to go, thinking she might find answers or comfort to hasten her journey to “the new normal.” She found what she describes as “an intensive care hospital/church.” While attending the nightly services for 12 weeks, she began to experience God’s healing power. She counts this time as her turning point in dealing with the grief and realizing that her life could indeed go on. She had no idea what that life was going to be, but she had confidence that God had a plan and things would be okay. Judy did everything prescribed to move forward. She began to sense
that God was calling her to attend a Bible school, but she was not sure what she would do with the degree. She just knew God was calling her to it and planned to explore the idea as soon as possible. One difficult obstacle to healing was the trial for her husband’s killer. The wheels of justice moved slowly. It was impossible to have a sense of closure while the trial still loomed in the future. She was trying to move forward but was held back by this burden that she had no control over. There was a feeling of release when finally in 1997, the man with the gun was sentenced to life in prison. In August 1998, Judy enrolled at the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry in Pensacola, Florida.
Loss Again The Bryants were healing, but no one was prepared for the devastating call on Dec. 6, 2001, that Troy had suddenly died of cardiac arrest. There were days when Judy thought, “This is too much. I can’t go on,” yet she did. In her heart she knew God was there even when it felt like He wasn’t. As in the past, Judy continually turned to scripture for comfort. Isaiah 57:1 became “her” verse. “The good men perish; the godly die before their time and no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to realize that God is taking them away from evil days ahead.” Judy’s eventual peace came in realizing that her son was safe in the arms of Jesus.
Judy graduated from the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry in 2003 and was licensed through the Assemblies of God.
What Next Judy completed her studies at Brownsville and graduated with an Associate Arts in Practical Ministry degree. This qualified her to work in pastoral care, something she felt called to. When a friend put an application for a chaplain pastoral education training course on her desk, she looked it over and was very interested. Part of the training program required on-the-spot hands-on work in the hospital emergency room. She found herself prepared by God to comfort families dealing with sudden death, illness or accidents.
St. Richard Catholic School a unique learning environment centered in the teachings of Jesus Christ
Learning through Faith
Support During the Holidays We support patients AND their caregivers. We can help. Let us tell you how. 100 Holly Drive, Jackson www.strichardschool.org
601-366-1157 30 JANUARY 2011 ❘ Metro Christian Living
2001 Airport Road N, Suite 304 Flowood, MS 39232 Polly Stokes-Barnes, Bereavement Counselor
www.odsyhealth.com