By Kelsey Ginther,
Contributing Writer
“Jesus showed [me] that I can have relationship with Him…He became a father to me.”
For Cherry Juric, coming to know Christ as a father has been particularly meaningful. When she was only ten years old and still living in the Philippines, she lost her father. Cherry was very close to her father, and she struggled for a time with feelings of anger and hopelessness. Although she had an awareness of Jesus through her Catholic upbringing, He began to use events around her to show her who He was personally.
Cherry remembers having a conversation with her brother’s friend that prompted her to try to discover more about who Jesus actually was. Eventually, she found herself in an extra credit class in school where the teacher was a pastor. He used his wedding ring as a simple metaphor to illustrate how God protects His children, and Cherry was moved to accept Jesus into her life. As Jesus continued to build a relationship with Cherry, she started to bring everything to Him—her career, marriage and plans for the future. He became her Abba, Father.
When Cherry first came to Calgary, she was unable to connect with a Christian church and greatly missed being part of a community. On the recommendation of a co-worker, Cherry came to Centre Street Church hoping for a confirmation that it would be right for her. It turned out that the sermon topic was the Ark of the Covenant, which was exactly what her previous pastor in the Philippines had been preaching about, and she felt at peace. After the sermon, she introduced herself to Pastor Henry, and he invited her into the CSC family.
Cherry’s life was upended when she and her husband Paul moved to Saskatchewan to start a business with a family member, only to have the opportunity disappear (and their investment with it). Moving to a new city as a young couple had been difficult enough, but this unexpected change left them feeling even more alone. Still, they carried forward, with Cherry working and Paul attending Bible college. They were also able to connect with a local church. In time they found out that they were going to have a baby, and this brought a new sense of excitement.
Then one summer night, the unthinkable happened. The Jurics were going through their usual night time routine, which included their son Klaeton going to his grandma’s room to spend some time watching TV before bed. But that night, when Cherry went to get Klaeton, she couldn’t find him.
“I knew something was wrong. I ran to the pool. He was there facing down. I took him out of the pool and called for help. My world crushed. I was shocked and paralyzed.”
The death of her young son shattered Cherry’s heart. “I was lost,” she says. “I lost my purpose. I lost my identity. I lost my hope.”
Even with the passage of time, Cherry carried the heavy burden of grief and guilt, unable to emerge from the fog of living life in survival mode. Paul and Cherry had another son, Ethan, then moved back to Calgary and had their daughter Chloe. Although Cherry knew that God was still there for her, she struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts.
It was during a CSC service with guest speaker Ken Dyck that Cherry felt a push to enroll in Freedom Session. Despite being skeptical of the program and the serious commitment involved, she decided to follow God’s lead. After seven years of trying to bury the past, she began to work through it.
“I was desperate for healing,” Cherry explains. “I knew in my head God had forgiven me [for what happened with my son] but not in my heart.”
With the support of her facilitator and her Freedom Session group, Cherry faced the difficult task of preparing an Inventory – a tool for reflection and healing – for Klaeton. Through this exercise, she was able to identify and distinguish between true guilt and false guilt and receive forgiveness. As she continued to walk the Freedom Session journey, she finally was able to forgive herself for her son’s death.
Today, Cherry shares openly about this transformation. “I used to see my pain, but now I see God’s grace in it after forgiveness.” Her desire is that God would use her story to speak to others, to help them through their own dark valleys, and for God to be glorified in it.
To people in pain Cherry says, “Allow yourself to feel the pain, but talk to God about it. Only God can go to that deepest pain.”
Cherry also advises that you allow your friends to surround you, “to keep you from getting addicted to something in order to cope with the pain.” She is extremely grateful for the people that God placed around her to give her support in those times.
What Cherry found most valuable was a short phrase that Pastor Henry often shared in his sermons, “Pray anyways.” Throughout her life, even when she was at her lowest, she stayed true to this mentality. When she was angry in the wake of her son’s death, she prayed. When all she wanted was to flee, she prayed. When she couldn’t escape the pain of her grief, she prayed. In all things, she talked to God.
When asked how to come alongside those who are grieving, Cherry has simple and practical advice to share. Rather than trying to say the right thing, she recommends that you offer your presence instead. For someone who has experienced deep loss, a hug or time spent together can be more beneficial than words.
As Cherry continues to live in God’s love and grace, she looks forward to how God will use her and her testimony to impact others. She would be greatly blessed if you would join her in praying for continued healing and the courage to share her experience as she moves forward in freedom.