Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Snell.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Holly. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
It’s so hard to know where to begin. I can say that when tragedy strikes, we often discover that we have been living with a false sense of who God is and begin asking all kinds of questions like, Where is God in this mess? Does He see me? Does He even care? Why did He allow this to happen? Is He going to do something about this?
I grew up in a Christian home. I was the oldest of six children. My father was a pastor and my mom was the church secretary. I attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL, where I met Scott Nesbitt, the man of my dreams. Scott also came from a big family and was the youngest of nine. His long-term goal was to start a Christian adventure camp for inner-city youth. After several years of marriage, this dream became a reality! A recently retired executive from a well-known fast-food company wanted to fund this effort. This man has become like a father to me.
After viewing multiple properties throughout the Adirondack region in New York and the New England area, we settled on 220 acres north of Montpelier, VT. It is here where we began Pathway Ministries. Following two years of preparing the property and getting everything in place, we were set to open in the summer of 2000. Scott and I asked my sister Heather and her husband, James, to join us on this adventure.
On August 1, 2000, Scott and James left to scout out a canoe route for the youth that we had there that week. We expected them back by nightfall, but they were nowhere to be found. So I reported them missing and searches all over the state and the surrounding areas began. A local television crew arrived to do a story for the evening news. In the midst of that live interview, I received a call from a local sheriff that forever changed my life. He said, “I’m so sorry. Your husbands’ bodies have been found floating in a river.” I hung up the phone in disbelief. Out of respect, the camera crew stopped filming and the wailing began. I’ll never forget the pain and ache that followed. We were later told that their bodies had been found 100 feet from their vehicle. They both had life jackets on. It was suspected that Scott had slipped on some moss-covered rocks overlooking rapids as they were carrying their canoe to the put-in point. James likely dove into the water to rescue him. They both drowned in only five feet of water.
In a single moment, I felt like I had lost EVERYTHING! I had lost my husband. Our daughter who had just turned two lost her father. To make matters worse, my dad had passed away suddenly only nine months before this. Three men in my family were now gone in less than a year. I was so hurt by God. I couldn’t understand why this happened and why He didn’t stop it!
This changed my life forever. While the scars of these memories will forever be with me, I can honestly say that walking through the tragic loss of my husband, brother-in-law, and father, has transformed me. It was in the depths of my despair and agony that I truly came face to face with God. I would’ve given anything for Him to “undo” these circumstances, but the gift that He gave me was the gift of His presence. I was not alone.
My sister and I wrote a book in 2009 to capture our story. It’s called Dancing On My Ashes. Today, we have the incredible privilege of sharing our story all over the country at churches, women’s conferences, and universities. We encounter women who are experiencing their own tragedy and loss. Being face to face with women in their dark struggles, and having the opportunity to show them that there is hope brings great joy! And while it can hurt and stir up previous pain each time we share, it also causes my heart to be grateful for the journey and the One who has led me through it — it actually brings further healing.
Today, I serve as Chief Executive Officer of Hope Women’s Center in McKinney, TX. It is an unplanned pregnancy clinic that serves approximately 800 individuals a year. And while the stories of the women I encounter here may be different than my own, many of them are in their own crisis. We have the opportunity to serve them by providing medical and educational services, but what we offer them is so much more! In their chaos, we provide a plan. In their confusion, we provide peace. In their darkness, we provide light. In their despair, we provide HOPE. And I think we can all use some of that right now…
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My life is anything but smooth, but I’ve learned to be thankful for the ups and downs and the twists and turns. The challenges and victories along the way continue to make me stronger — not perfect… but better. Following the loss of Scott, the Lord gave me the beautiful gift of Aaron Snell. There are no words to adequately share how he has impacted my life. He has loved me at my worst. Even after Aaron and I married, I still would wrestle with my grief. Without complaint or fear of comparison, he would hold me until the tears subsided. That is a special kind of love that is rare. Not only that, both Heather and I are often accompanied at our speaking engagements by our husbands. Heather has also remarried. They are our biggest fans! Aaron will often say to me, “This isn’t just YOUR ministry. It’s mine too. We’re in this TOGETHER.” And he has shown me that over and over again.
Aaron is a founding pastor of The Parks Church in McKinney. He continues to live his life for others. We are blessed by our children: Emma (21), Malachi (17), and Ava (12).
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I pray that when people encounter me, they encounter hope — that they see a God who loves them and cares about the details of their life! I have many flaws — and if you look, you can certainly find them. But I’m going to continue to strive to be a source of encouragement to those who find themselves in what appears to be hopeless circumstances and situations.
Pricing:
- Dancing On My Ashes: Learning to Love the One Who Gives and Takes Away is available on Amazon for $13.99
Contact Info:
- Website: dancingonmyashes.com
- Phone: 417-425-5630
- Email: holly@myhope.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahsnell5/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahsnell/
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