If you have lost a loved one, you know the unbearable and excruciating pain that it brings to your life. You have lived through those long days and longer nights of what now? Why did this happen? Followed by How in the world am I going to keep going?

Jana Seaman went through this when she lost her husband, Jon, to cancer five years ago. He left behind his wife, and his two beautiful daughters, ages 5 and 1. Jana looked at her life with a blurry vision of the future and thought, what now? Why did this happen? How in the world am I going to keep going?

Jana and her late husband were living in Kentucky. She was 38 weeks pregnant when he was diagnosed with leukemia. Her maternity leave turned into a permanent leave as she stepped back to take care of her new baby, her 5-year-old little girl, and her sick husband. She had to look at her life and what it would be like without him; raising these two girls to remember this man as their daddy but learning to embrace the good and find happiness again.

After a 15-month battle with cancer, the love of her life and father of her children passed away in December of 2016. His death left her devastated, broken and confused. She found herself in a deep cloud of grief and she wasn’t functioning well. Although Jana was and is extremely strong in her faith, she felt trapped in that dark place. She needed some clarity and some space. So, in January of 2017, she told her dad that she needed to get away and clear her head, seek the Lord and see what this all means for her and the girls.

“How do I get well so they can be well?”

She found a place on Ana Maria island in Florida where she worked on finding inner peace. While sitting on the beach, she felt in her heart that this was where she was supposed to be and would one day call Florida home. She didn’t know how, when or why, but she was sure of that voice she heard telling her that this was her future.

As she was processing her grief, she thought, “Certainly, someone has walked this road before me. Where are they and how can they help me?”

She wanted to do well and honor the Lord with her life. She knew there was still good to be done and then she went out on a journey to find others who were going through the same situation. As she reached out to the community and groups, she found herself encircled by people who have been alone for decades and couldn’t find their way out of that cycle of grief. Although she appreciated the experience, she just couldn’t picture herself sitting at that table, years from now in that same state of mind.

Seasons of life

“I believe that there are seasons in our lives. During those times, the Lord gives us a season of obedience, where we hear His voice and obey; A season of Preparation, and then His timing comes. If we have been obedient and equip ourselves, then when the right time comes, we are ready. It was now my season of preparation for this next step in our lives.”

Jana decided to do what she could on her end to prepare for the next step, whenever that would come.  She cleaned out the house, began getting projects done and setting her family up for that time when Florida would become her reality. At the same time, she was still seeking help and finding ways to live through her daily pain and grief. One day, as she was organizing things in the house, she stumbled upon her white board. Now was the time to stop what she was doing, and dream. She wrote down what she wanted in life for her and her girls. It was a beautiful life full of hope and happiness. She dreamt of living near the beach, a big family, and a home full of love.

Little did she know, her dream was coming to pass as more confirmation was heading her way, just as God had promised her.

Brent showed up into her life and changed everything. He was a bright light that took her by surprise and was everything she had been praying for. Brent was kind, he was a man of faith, he was a dad, and God placed him into her life at the perfect moment. He was also a Florida local! It was truly meant to be. Jana and Brent dated, and visited each other from their homes in Kentucky and Florida.

They heard each other’s stories, learned about their passions, and formed an unbreakable bond. They truly saw one another’s hearts and fell deeply in love. Their story would continue as he then proposed to the woman of his dreams. These two amazing people were soon married and excitedly, combined their families of 6 amazing children to create this incredibly joyful household. Jana and her girls sold the house in Kentucky and moved down to their new home in Florida.

After she met Brent, she began truly healing and getting glimpses of hope for the future. She then realized that she could help other widows and have a purpose from all of the pain that she endured. Although she was “fresh in her grief” she encouraged others who have lost loved ones that there are ways to move forward in this together as a widow community.  She began learning and training in the grief counselor field and truly found her purpose. Things started to make sense. Everything she had been through and all the questioning of “Why?” started to become clear.

Dealing with Loss

If someone is dealing with loss… how do they move on? How do they continue to run their family? What makes life “normal” again?

Jana described that some people tend to get so caught up in their situation that they don’t want to move forward through the loss, due to feeling that they could dishonor that person who passed. But Jana explains that you don’t have to leave that person behind. She, her daughters, and her now husband, Brent still celebrate her late husband’s birthday, and have pictures of him around their home. It isn’t about moving on and forgetting, it’s about moving forward.

“I look at my life as a story of redemption, restoration and beauty to be had again. It is the most amazing, fulfilling thing I have ever done in my life to be able to put purpose to my pain and work with and alongside other people going through similar things.”

United in Assignment

Since then, Jana has become a keynote speaker and life transformation coach. She has created United in Assignment who works with others going through loss and major life transitions all over the world. Her team of coaches collaborate together and have created this safe space for people who don’t want to go through life alone.

Jana and her team coach in several areas of life; grief, loss and rebuilding after life’s disappointments. No matter what life throws at you, this group is here to help prepare you and teach you ways to fully process what is happening. There are one-on-one sessions as well as groups where you can talk with other peers who are battling similar situations. There are also retreats where Jana focuses on rest, rejuvenation, and deep healing. This astounding team of life coaches will walk you through each step in this healing playbook to get you back on track to a fulfilling life!

“We are a beautiful community of broken people who are finding their way to healing.”

United in Assignment has created a mission to help you conquer all of life’s obstacles. Jana addresses all areas and wants to set you up to succeed every single day. When you work with this team you not only talk about healing and emotional health, but you will learn to take back your life in all channels. Emotional, physical, spiritual health. They also talk about things such as finances, family, relationships, and things that you are dealing with on a daily basis.

Typically, people who come in spend a minimum of 4 months, and sometimes they stay over a year. These coaches are here for you for as long as you need them to be, but they want to help you to move on and cope on your own as you gain strength.

“It’s not that people can’t do it on their own. But you can’t speed up the grieving process. So, the entire point is learning how to navigate those waters. For a person to really be whole at the end, you have to learn how to process these things so you can carry these skills with you forever, and learn how to live with it.”

The goal of United in Assignment is to change the way that people heal from grief. Jana and her coaches are available to speak and have amazing resources if you or someone you know is dealing with loss or a major life event. You can reach out to Jana and her team by filling out the form here: https://www.janaseaman.com/contact or by calling them at 239-249-5806.