Markings on the Windowsill: A Book about Grief That's Really about Hope » (Trade Paperback)

“Grief permeates most of the waking moments of those who are mourning. This book is a Christian message about the hope and fulfillment that can be known at the far side of that journey.”

—Ronald J. Greer

Ron Greer and his wife lost their two-year-old son Eric in a tragic automobile accident many years ago. In this brief, moving book, the author draws on his experiences as a father and as a pastoral counselor to offer hope, help, and healing to people who are grieving.

“Ron Greer has helped my wife and me grapple with many tough issues over the years. But all of them pale by comparison to his own personal tragedy. The loss of a child is the most devastating, life-changing event a parent would shudder to even envision. But as I have learned through the years, Ron has an uncanny ability to dig deep into our dark, unexplored emotional mines—turn on some lights—and then find those precious veins of hope.
There are no good answers to why bad things happen to good people. But there are good people who are able to use bad things as a lever to learn something profound about themselves and—in rare cases—to help others find the same emotional tools. Ron Greer has that tremendous gift. Thank God he is willing to share it with us.”

—Miles O’Brien,
CNN anchor

“For many years Ron Greer has skillfully counseled folks whose turn it was to ‘walk through the valley of the shadow of death.’ Then it was Ron’s turn. By faith, transforming a terrible tragedy into a time of deepening faith, Ron shows the rest of us the way, when it’s our time to walk through the desert of grief. All of us are either preparing for grief, or dealing with past grief, and we need all the help we can get. Ron can show you how to do grief with faith, hope—and love too.”

—William H. Willimon,
author and United Methodist bishop

“Ron Greer touches our hearts and gives us some great insights into healing and hope with this book. Ron writes from the depths of his own grief and his journey to healing as he and his wife dealt with the death of their two-year-old son. I have known Ron for thirty-five years, and he is made of the ‘real stuff.’ He enables the reader to deal with ‘real stuff’ with his book. The reader will be amazed at the hope the book produces on each page.”

—Don Harp,
senior minister, Peachtree Road United Methodist Church

“Markings on the Windowsill is sacred ground. When a person of Ron Greer’s depth and compassion bares his soul, and that of his amazing wife, Karen, one treads with reverence and rapt attention.
Be careful with this book… When you pick it up, go to a very quiet place, and plan to be there awhile.
God will speak to you. Your life will be changed. I promise.”

—Bill Curry,
ESPN sports analyst and speaker