By Michaela Gordoni
AMERICAN IDOL alum Danny Gokey struggled after his first wife died, but with the help of God, encouraging friends and family, he found a way for his “Heart to Beat Again.”
Gokey’s highschool sweetheart passed away from a heart issue four years into their marriage.
“It devastated me. Absolutely devastated me to the point where I didn’t want to go on AMERICAN IDOL, but thank God for my church family and some friends. They they really encouraged me to go,” he told Eric Metaxes on TBN.
“I’m in the line [for AMERICAN IDOL], and I’m crying, and then I’m happy, and then I’m crying,” he recalled. “Like it was an extremely emotional experience ‘cause I was there for about 12 hours that day. But I ended up with my first golden ticket.”
After his wife’s death, a healing movement broke out at his church. For a couple of months, many people were getting healed of ailments like cancer and even a stunted limb.
“I’m in the services and you know what I say? ‘I got to get out of here. I can’t be here. Why did God not heal my wife?’” he said.
Gokey then went on a month-long trip and talked to God.
“Hear me out on this,” he told Metaxes. “I believe that God would have healed her. But here’s what I believe: when she saw Jesus face to face, I bet you she saw Jesus and He said, ‘I have to answer their prayers.’”
But Gokey believes that when his wife saw Jesus, she asked to stay.
“God can never override anyone’s will. And even though our prayers, they came back to us, and God started healing people. But I believe when she saw Jesus face to face that she said, ‘Will you take care of my family?’ And I bet you the Lord said yes. And she said, ‘Let me stay.’”
And God did take care of Gokey. He brought him to AMERICAN IDOL and eventually brought him another wife and children.
“Job lost his whole family, and God told Job, He didn’t answer him why, you know, the questions he had. He said, ‘Where were you when I told the ocean to come this far? When I put the sun up here?’”
“Here’s what I’ve learned. As long as I have God at the center…Job was able to enjoy his second family,” Gokey said.
He added that it’s hard to think you can ever love a second family after experiencing such a tragic loss, but God gave him the ability to.
He wrote a song about his experience called “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again.”
Related: Danny Gokey Celebrates ‘Hundreds’ Saved at Concerts: ‘Bring Them to the Altar’
Some of the lyrics are: “The life you knew, in a / thousand pieces on the floor / And words fall short in times / like these, when this world / drives you to your knees / You think you’re never gonna / get back, to the you that used / to be / Tell your heart to beat again.”
He also wrote one called “I Will Not Say Goodbye,” which speaks about grieving and never forgetting the one you love.
Thursday was the 16th anniversary of the day Gokey left AMERICAN IDOL in 3rd place.
Gokey shared clips from his time on the show on social media.
He said, “16 years ago today, I was voted off @americanidol 😲 It was a journey started through moments of deep pain after losing my first wife Sophia, and that moment felt like another devastating ending 😔 BUT GOD!!! Little did I know it was just the beginning of something so much bigger & better than I ever could have imagined! 🙌🙌🙌”
“Whatever you’re facing today, know that with God every loss is ‘only for a moment’ and He is still working His purposes through your pain! 🫶🏻” he said.
Danny Gokey’s story is an encouraging reminder that God can make something beautiful out of tragedy.
Read Next: Danny Gokey Encourages Celebrating God’s Goodness: ‘Gave His Life for Us’
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