Every blended family has a story and let’s be honest, they’re rarely simple. Sometimes that story starts with joy, and sometimes it’s born out of deep loss, heartbreak, or a completely unexpected turn. No matter how your journey began, the past can carry pain that needs God’s healing touch before we can truly step into the freedom of creating an incredible future together. The good news? He’s really good at taking our broken pieces and weaving them into something more beautiful than we could have imagined. That’s definitely our story! Our story may look different from yours, but the same God who met us in our pain is ready to meet you in yours. As you hear our “testimony,” we pray that you would invite the Healer into YOUR STORY!
Within about eight weeks of each other, our worlds were forever changed. During that very short span of time, Shannen’s late husband Jimmy, and Anthony’s late wife Mary Ann, both went home to be with Jesus. Jimmy battled a terminal illness called Lou Gehrig’s disease (or ALS), while Mary Ann battled triple negative, metastatic breast cancer. Jimmy and Mary Ann were so loved by their communities. They loved Jesus, they loved their families and they loved the people they served, and when they passed, thousands of people grieved. Their absence has been felt by so many, but most of all by the spouses and children they left behind.
In the past few years, God has taken our lives in a very different direction. When Jimmy and Mary Ann experienced their ultimate healing and went to Heaven with Jesus, we had a choice to make. We could have easily checked out on the gift of life and refused to move forward, and honestly, no one would have blamed us. In fact, it’s probably what most people would expect. But we felt the Holy Spirit leading us to respond in a very different way. We wanted to honor Jimmy and Mary Ann’s legacy and give our kids an example of what it means to trust Jesus when life is falling apart.
When we met and fell in love in 2021, we realized God had placed a calling on our lives that didn’t expire when life took a drastic turn. We chose to live on purpose, work hard to process and experience healing from our pain and help others do the same.
Together, we have been married a combined 55 years and have used that experience to create Uncover Marriage. We frequently speak at churches and marriage, family and leadership conferences around the world. We love to share our story, equip couples to experience the marriage of their dreams and inspire others to“heal forward.”
Our story of new beginnings can really only be explained one way, “miraculous!” When we think about the deep love He has given us for one another and our desire to share His love with the world, we often say, “Only God could do this!” He is the Master at taking the hardest moments of life and turning them into something beautiful. He often takes the broken pieces of our lives and forms them into a beautiful picture of His love for the world.
Jesus said, “In this world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer because I have overcome the world!” The problem is, we know life often throws pain our way, but we get so disoriented when it actually happens. You know how it feels. We have all lost something, especially in the last few years. Maybe you have experienced the death of a dream, the loss of a job or business, a broken relationship, divorce or the pain of a miscarriage. Maybe you haven’t lost a spouse or a loved one, but you know what it means to grieve.
What are you supposed to do when life doesn’t turn out the way you prayed, dreamed, hoped or even planned that it would? It’s definitely easiest to just stay on the couch, grab the donuts, a pot of coffee and attempt to watch every possible show on Netflix. Speaking from experience, binging 15 seasons of your favorite show will not actually bring peace. The only thing that brings peace is healing forward.
As Shannen often describes, “I didn’t want to stay home anymore. I was ready to live my life.” It’s so easy to get stuck right there in that moment. You can’t imagine living life when you have experienced trauma, failure or defeat. You aren’t sure you’ll ever really laugh again or experience true joy. There is this heaviness that you carry that’s hard to explain.
Maybe you feel like you are drowning or in a constant fog. It’s hard to even catch your breath. Loss of any kind sucks the life out of you and you are left feeling anxious, stressed and overwhelmed. Even when you are surrounded by people who love and support you, you can’t help but feel alone. The only way it can truly be described is “suspended animation.” Everyone else is moving except you. You feel stuck.
When you walk through difficult moments, sitting on that couch feels safe. It’s just not very fulfilling. If you are stuck in that space, we get it. Don’t get us wrong, we still love our couch and a great movie. We just choose not to stay there. Strength is having the courage to simply take your next step.
Shannen had been a widow for about six months and was asked to be featured on a podcast called, Women in My World, with host, Shari Rigby. Shari asked Shannen, “How do you define success?” Shannen replied, “I showed up today, that’s success.” Success for you may be getting out of bed or simply saying, “Yes!” It may be going back to church, calling a friend, sharing your story with someone or getting back to the things you love and that fuel your passion. Whatever it is for you, just show up.
So, what’s next? Great question!
- Identify your next step.
As much as we would like, God doesn’t typically show us the complete picture of our future, but He will identify our next step. That next step doesn’t always have to be a HUGE leap. It may be a phone call, setting up a counseling appointment, cleaning out a closet or choosing to no longer be angry. Okay, that last one may be a huge leap, but you CAN do it.
- Pray for courage to take that step.
We often grew up believing that faith is the absence of fear. We aren’t sure where that mentality came from, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Jesus said that He had not given us a spirit of fear, but instead He gave us power, love and a sound mind. However, that doesn’t mean that we will never be afraid. Faith isn’t the absence of fear, it’s the courage to take the next step in the face of it.
- Take your next step, even if you are afraid.
We must be willing to do hard things well and at times, that requires living life afraid. So, take that next step, even if you are terrified of doing so. After all, the first step is always the hardest. The second and third steps are never quite as difficult.
- Invite others on the journey with you.
You don’t have to live alone. We need a strong team in our lives. There are times when we need to “borrow” faith, encouragement, strength and joy from those around us. One of the most life-giving things you could do is reach out to someone who has walked the journey that you are walking. Go get coffee, listen to their story and let their experience feed your faith. We are truly so much better together. One day, you’ll be the person sitting on the other side of the table, using your story as a tool to encourage and strengthen someone else.
Remember, as you trust Him completely, we believe you will discover beauty in the chaos. If there’s anything we’ve learned, it’s that you discover who Jesus is at your deepest point of need. He’s right there with you through the power of the Holy Spirit. His love is healing you forward!
Don’t just dream big, live it!
Anthony & Shannen
Meet Anthony & Shannen
Shannen Fields Braswell is an award winning actress, producer, model, and inspirational speaker. Anthony Braswell is a pastor, inspirational speaker, content creator and leadership coach. We lost our late spouses to terminal illnesses within 8 weeks of each other. We both made the decision to heal forward and make each day count. As we took those steps, God allowed our paths to cross and our new friendship quickly turned into our very own miraculous love story. Together, we have been married a combined 55 years and have used that experience to create Uncover Marriage. We have also launched Healing Forward Ministries, a non-profit organization to offer financial assistance to widows and fund content and experiences designed to reverse the epidemic of divorce that is sweeping the globe. We love to inspire others with hope and equip couples to experience the marriage of their dreams!
For more info, visit anthonyandshannen.com.
