Lily's Flowers: A Novel about Overcoming Grief

By Michael Shay

Have you ever experienced a debilitating loss? A loss that shatters your entire world, making it difficult to do anything, such as get out of bed, hold a job, or even breathe at times. Lily's Flowers is a story about how one man found his way out of the darkness of grief by helping others. It's a story of love and hope.

John was in his early fifties when he lost his wife Lily to cancer. His life fell apart after that; he lost his job, he stopped meeting up with friends, he stopped attending church, and his relationship with his children became increasingly difficult. With the love of his life gone, he needed to find a new purpose. John will discover that helping others is one of the keys to overcoming grief.

John provides shelter to a young man from his community who has been in a recent accident. John soon discovers that Steve is also suffering from grief. Steve lost his mother and younger brother in a car accident and has struggled ever since. As John helps Steve, he starts to see improvements in his life. Then Jackson comes along.

Jackson is a teenager who has just run away from an abuse family environment. John doesn't hesitate to take in Jackson even after objections from his adult children. They want him to sell the family house and move on, but John is not about to give up yet. The three men begin attending grief sessions at a local church. With the help of his two new house guests, John will revitalize his wife's flower garden that has been abandoned for two years.

The story is about how someone can find a way out of the darkness of grief, to find purpose once again. It all starts by trusting God and letting faith in God lead the way. God works in mysterious ways, placing people in our lives for a specific purpose. Their purpose is often unknown to them and you, but anything is possible if a person trusts God. Loss affects each person differently, so there isn't one solution that fits all situations, but anything is possible with the right attitude. Miracles can happen if you are willing to take a leap of faith and embrace change.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FLTMSQRN
• ISBN13: 9798317808266
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Bookbaby
• Length: 284 Pages