'It Is Well...with My Soul': How Wynter Pitts' Family Showed a Powerful Christian Response to Death

The family and friends of Wynter Evans Pitts celebrated her life and legacy over the weekend after her sudden, unexpected death last week.

The funeral for the founder of For Girls Like You magazine and niece of Dallas Megachurch pastor Dr. Tony Evans was held Saturday at the Oaks Church in Red Oak, Texas.

The 38-year-old mother passed away in her sleep last week and is survived by her husband Jonathan and four young daughters.

The family has been transparent about the real pain they're feeling after losing Wynter, but they've also offered an amazing testimony to the power of faith in Christ, even in the face of death.

"We are heartbroken and in much pain, but we rest in the hope that we have in Jesus Christ," Jonathan Pitts shared on Instagram shortly after her death. "So if Wynter's life and sudden passing teaches you anything, learn to live every day in light of that fact.  God is a good father. He did not stop loving Wynter when she left this earth. His love only got more real to her. I find solace in that fact."

The day after Wynter's funeral, her cousin, Bible teacher, Priscilla Shirer posted on Instagram, "It is well...with my soul."

Cousin Jonathan Evans, chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys also took to social media to share his thoughts. 

"She was so wonderful," he posted. "I miss her and wish I could hear her call me Jon Jon one more time. Ever since she moved from Baltimore to Dallas, she has been a beaming light in our presence just like in this picture. Just look at the picture. Can't you see how incomplete it would be with out her in it? This is how we feel as a family. This is how I feel. There is a certain light, spark, a beautiful presence now missing. I want it back, we all do. However, I now know that God wanted it, too. He wanted her in His presence and I can't fault Him for that. I actually admire Him for thinking so highly of her to want her now. I smile at the thought of Him smiling at her. He took her out of our picture and added her to His presence. And that, somehow makes me feel joy in sadness."

During a forum at his church, Dr. Evans and his four children, Priscilla, Chrystal Evans Hurst, Anthony Jr., and Jonathan, shared their thoughts about Wynter's sudden passing and tackled tough questions about life and death. 

"I rushed out, went to the hospital and I walked into the room," explained Dr. Evans.  And when I walked into the room I knew it was over from the medical standpoint because Jonathan was hovered over his wife and saying 'she's gone, she's gone.'"

"Feeling that sadness, shock, mixture of both, heartache. Seeing a young man weep over his young wife. And then the worst part of it for me was him going to tell his girls, who were at the hospital too. And then to hear the wailing from four girls, that this was so unbelievable. At the very same time something very encouraging in the midst of the heartache, tears, and pain, Jonathan immediately went into where their mother was, that she was with the Lord. That she was with her savior. And as everybody was crying, girls saying, 'no this can't be, this can't be,' he began singing a hymn. He began singing a praise song. And so we joined in with him as he sang to his girls," he recalled.

Dr. Evans also lost a brother six months ago.

"The kids wonder how you feel cause you just keep going," his son Jonathan tearfully asked.

"Because I believe what I preach," Dr. Evans responded. "I do believe she's in a better place. I do believe in the sovereignty of God. I do believe in the goodness of God. I do believe. And because I believe, I do keep going."

Jonathan also asked his dad to explain the goodness of God in light of losing a loved one so young and unexpectedly.

"The goodness of God is all around us," said Dr. Evans. "It only comes into question when bad things happen. You take away the bad things, we were celebrating with Jonathan Pitts and his family, the goodness of God as a family. We were celebrating that and then this happens. So now the questions come. But what about all those other days when there were no questions when we were laughing and celebrating? So you have to put the badness of a situation against the history of God's goodness."

Anthony Jr. expressed that he was angry about Wynter's death.

"This kind of stuff throws me way off," he shared. "When you're a person built like me, where you lose your cousin, you go hold her daughters and you're full of rage because you could not believe that this is what is happening and it wasn't evil like you were explaining earlier. Nothing evil happened to her, like her heart stopped. Like I feel like God allowed that to happen. When you're somebody who processes like me it doesn't go to hope real quick. You're mad."

"It's okay to feel the pain of God disappointing you," explained Dr. Evans.

"You gotta have the right theology of death," he continued. "Cause if you don't, death is only a negative. When in God's economy, it's not only a negative. In God's economy, he makes an astounding statement. He says, 'Blessed is the Lord with the death of his saints.' That is, he is excited to have Wynter with him. Now, we're not because of what was lost. But he's excited to have Wynter with him."

At the conclusion of the service, Dr. Evans and his family prayed for those in the audience who have suffered loss and pain.  

His children then surrounded him and their family in prayer.