Imagine your worst nightmare becoming a reality. It’s such a horrendous situation that you could have never envisioned this event coming true. Your world is completely turned upside down and despite this terrifying circumstance, you must find the will to survive and carry on because others depend on you.

Rachel and Kristian Anderson were a happily married couple, with two young boys and they were living the perfect life together. Work was good and the couple had things figured out. Then one day Kristian was diagnosed with cancer. Although, the chances of recovery looked hopeful in the beginning God had other plans and Kristian passed away after a long battle.

Sadly, Rachel was left to pick up the pieces for the sake of her family. “It has been my children that have gotten me out of bed in the mornings. When you have little people that are relying on you to keep functioning every day, you just keep going and going,” Rachel said.

By somewhat of an accident a book, documenting Kristian’s fight against cancer, was developed. In Days Like These Kristian shares his journey. “It started off by default when he began blogging to let friends and family know what was happening, and once he’d made the video for me it became a bit of an explosion. I can see God’s hand on our lives throughout the whole of our cancer journey and I know that it was meant to be,” Rachel said. Throughout the book Rachel has added her response to various events that happened and offered her words of wisdom to others who are or have struggled with the death of a loved one.

“A lot of people suffer in silence and don’t know how to voice the fears and worries and experiences that they are having, and Kristian was able to articulate so well what he was going through that so many people are able to relate,” Rachel said. Kristian was able to use his “fame” to help others who were suffering and lobbied the government to include a critical drug on the PBS, so that it was more affordable to patients.

Kristian’s words speak the truth, in the book, however the comfort is apparent and underlying in everything that he says. Your heart breaks for him as he talks about the smell of the chemotherapy seeping through his pores or the sadness he feels when he cannot be there for his children because he is so weak.

Rachel, despite the horrific experience, has allowed her faith to remain as a foundation. “While we don’t know how our lives end up where they end up, God knows, and He is in control, even when we feel like we are floundering with no direction or purpose. Also, sometimes it’s easy to devalue prayer when we don’t see the results we are praying for, but God’s ways are not our ways, and praying is so important. If we’re worrying, we’re not praying,” Rachel said.

For others that are dealing with the loss of a loved one Rachel says, ”While we don’t know how our lives end up where they end up, God knows, and He is in control, even when we feel like we are floundering with no direction or purpose.” She went on to say, “Sometimes it’s easy to devalue prayer when we don’t see the results we are praying for, but God’s ways are not our ways, and praying is so important.”

Rachel also emphasized that the suffering should accept help. “The easiest way for people to help is usually in a practical manner,” Rachel said. Allow others to be there for you because when you go through a traumatic situation, you need to be able to take time for yourself to be a better person and to get yourself together.

Rachel and Kristian’s book Days Like These offers truth, comfort and the undying love between two soul mates whose story has changed the lives of many. Even though they are not together here on Earth, Rachel and Krtistian’s inspirational story shows how love prevails; their love will forever live in their memories that they created and their two sons.

For more information on Days Like These click here. To view the You Tube of Kristian showcasing his love to Rachel click here.