Man Suffers Unthinkable Heartbreak And Leans on Faith as He Mourns Loss of Wife And Baby Boy

Mel Johnson

GodUpdates Contributor

October 21, 2019

Man Suffers Unthinkable Heartbreak And Leans on Faith as He Mourns Loss of Wife And Baby Boy

Tragedy rocked Blake Bivens' family when a triple homicide in Virginia robbed the minor league baseball player of his wife, baby, and mother-in-law. But Blake's unwavering faith during such misery is truly inspiring.

It can be hard to focus on gratitude in the face of such pain and heartache. And yet, after enduring the unimaginable, Blake Bivens' Instagram reveals he is doing just that.

"I thank God everyday (sic) for letting me have you for a short time," he wrote as part of a "Happy Birthday in Heaven" message for his late wife.

Blake is a minor league pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays. And he was on the road when he got the terrible news that his wife Emily Bivens, young son Cullen, and mother-in-law Joan had been the victims of a triple homicide in Virginia.

"My heart was turned to ash. My life as I knew it is destroyed," Blake Bivens said two days after the terrible tragedy. "The pain my family and I feel is unbearable and cannot be put into words."

Heartbreaking Post On Blake Bivens Instagram

View this post on Instagram

Two days ago my heart was turned to ash. My life as I knew it is destroyed. The pain my family and I feel is unbearable and cannot be put into words. I shake and tremble at the thought of our future without them. Emily, my sweetheart, you are the best wife and mother this world has ever seen. You made me into the man I am today and you loved me with all of my flaws. You brought our precious baby boy into this world and made our family complete. Your love and kindness changed countless lives, including mine. My sweet little boy, dada loves you so much! I can’t breathe without you here. I finally understood what love was when you were born and I would have done anything for you. You have changed my life forever, you are my reason why. I long to hold the both of you again in heaven. I’m so glad you are with all your Great-grandmothers now, I know they are eating you up. This earth did not deserve either of you; you were just too wonderful to comprehend. Joan you were the best mother-in-law anyone could ask for. You loved your family more than anyone I’ve ever seen. You raised the most wonderful girl in the world. I’m so glad y’all are still together. You were the best Nana this world has ever seen and I will never forget you. Skip you are a wonderful father and grandfather. We will get through this together as a family. We will not let the devil win! Thank you God for giving me the most wonderful family in the world! I’ve been blessed beyond belief. Thank you to all my family and friends who have reached out to me during this time of sorrow. Thank you @raysbaseball @biscuitbaseball for your support through everything. I am comforted by all the messages and well wishes. I’m not sure what is next for me, but I do know God has a plan even though I can’t see it.

A post shared by Blake Bivens (@blakebbins) on Aug 29, 2019 at 6:55pm PDT

Blake Bivens And Family Mourn With Faith

Yet, even in the face of such horrific circumstances, Blake Bivens and his grieving family remain steadfast in their faith. Blake knows that God is greater and gets the final say. And even in his grief, Blake continues to remain grateful for all he's been given by his Heavenly Father.

"Thank you God for giving me the most wonderful family in the world! I’ve been blessed beyond belief," he wrote.

Something as heinous as this can easily shake a person's faith. And yet, a tragedy like this is when we need it most. And that's why it's so inspiring to see Blake Bivens and his family clinging to God's promises in this time of heartache.

Faith allows us to mourn with hope. We have the assurance that the pain of this world will one day end. But death will not get the final word thanks to Jesus Christ.

This is the truth Blake leans on in his mourning.

"For me this is not the end but only a brief interruption," he writes on his Blake Bivens Instagram page. "One day soon we will have a magnificent reunion and all of us will be with the Lord forever. Until then I will press on to the ultimate goal of spending eternity in Heaven."

Faith-Filled Message On Instagram

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It’s been a month since both of you went home to Paradise to be with Jesus. I spend most of my time imagining what both of you are seeing and experiencing. As my tears fall, I remind myself of what the apostle Paul said in first Thessalonians 4:13-14 NIV “Brothers and sisters we do not want you to be on uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him”. For me this is not the end but only a brief interruption. One day soon we will have a magnificent reunion and all of us will be with the Lord forever. Until then I will press on to the ultimate goal of spending eternity in Heaven. My family and I would like to thank everyone across this country who has prayed for us and sent words of encouragement our way. I also want to thank the baseball community; The love and compassion we have felt has been unbelievable. It truly feels like we are one big family. Thank you @ourbaseballlife for everything you have done to support us during this time. I also want to thank the @raysbaseball for their continuous support through all this.

A post shared by Blake Bivens (@blakebbins) on Sep 27, 2019 at 9:34am PDT

Finding Hope In God's Word

Our hearts break knowing Blake Bivens' family must endure this kind of tragic loss. But what an inspiration to see how he and his family live out their faith even in the darkest times.

"As my tears fall," Blake says, "I remind myself of what the apostle Paul said in first Thessalonians 4:13-14."

And those words are a powerful reminder for all of us while we endure the tragedies and hardships of this life.

"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

h/t: Today

Featured Image: Instagram/Blake Bevins

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