Marc Woerlen: Keeping faith in God in the face of tragedy

Late one night in November 2004, while away on a trip, Marc Woerlen received news that would have devastated anyone. Marc lost his wife and seven children in a fire that consumed their home near Pelham, Ontario in Canada.

It was an unimaginable tragedy. Not only was it devastating for family and friends, it also touched people on the entire North American continent and throughout the world. Losing one family member is difficult enough for a person to deal with, but losing eight is nearly impossible to comprehend.

It can be easy to question where God is when tragedy strikes. Why would He allow such a thing to occur? Is He really there?

But Marc clung to his faith in God and God’s Word, and today we meet a man grounded in unshakable faith, with a story to tell.

How did he pull through in those darkest days; what gave him strength to overcome and keep going after his entire life had been swept out from under him? What would he say to someone who needed encouragement in the midst of their own tragedy?

“It’s not about trials being easy. It’s about God giving us power to overcome. He doesn’t give us anything we can’t bear, as long as we stay connected with Him. That’s our only hope. Outside of that I wouldn’t have had any hope. All I had was the Word of God.”

Listen to Marc Woerlen speak about his battles and his faith in this moving and faith-strengthening video.