Child Loss Pathway
It’s every parent’s worst fear to lose a child. What do you do when you experience a tragedy as unbearable as the death of a child? There is no solution to the pain and there is no easy fix, but there is hope. In this Child Loss Pathway, you’ll hear stories from parents who endured the unfathomable and yet still found healing on the other side. If losing a child is part of your story or if you know someone who has, this pathway is full of hope in the midst of the most unimaginable loss.
Podcast Episodes:
How can you believe you are highly favored when you experience great loss? What does it look like to trust that God still loves you when tragedy strikes your family?
Kurt and Denette Schaer had already seen how God can redeem suffering—having walked through Kurt’s infidelity and experiencing radical healing in their marriage. But even that couldn’t fully prepare them for the heartbreak they would face years later with the loss of their teenage son, Logan. The grief they endured was unimaginable, and yet God sustained them through it. Their journey also led Denette to wrestle deeply with the idea of favor—what it meant for her family in the midst of profound loss—which she explores in her book, Highly Favored?: Discovering Hope in the Shadows of Grief.
In this episode, Davey sits down with Kurt and Denette to talk about staying faithful in difficult circumstances, the different ways grief can manifest within a marriage, and how our testimonies can become powerful tools in the healing journeys of others.
If you’ve ever wondered how God’s favor rests upon you in seasons of pain, this conversation will remind you that even in difficulty and heartache, His love and favor endure.
What does suffering offer us when it comes to spiritual awakening? How can we experience a movement of God after walking through a season of pain?
In 2023, Pastor Zach Meerkreebs was an ordinary pastor serving at a local seminary, still walking through the emotional pain from the loss of his infant daughter, Esther, three years prior. On what seemed like an ordinary day, he delivered a chapel message at Asbury University and stepped off the stage, feeling as though his words had fallen flat. Little did he know, God would use that moment to ignite a movement of the Spirit, launching over two weeks of continuous revival at a small university in rural Kentucky. Through that experience, Zach came to see how God can use anything—and anyone—to bring revival. He tells this story in his book, Lower: Igniting Spiritual Awakening Through Radical Humility.
In this episode, Davey and Zach talk about what God does in our wrestlings after pain, how He works through our weakness, and how to faithfully steward our encounters with Him.
If you’ve ever wondered whether God will move again in your life or community, this conversation will remind you that when we humble ourselves, we position our hearts to encounter God in ways we never expected.
How do you begin to heal after facing every parent’s worst imaginable nightmare — the loss of a child? And how can a marriage withstand, and even grow, through such profound grief?
Amber Smith’s life appeared picture-perfect. Married to country music artist Granger Smith, she was a mother to three young children, living what many would consider a dream. But in an instant, that dream shattered. While playing outside with his siblings and father, Amber and Granger’s three-year-old son, River, was found unresponsive in the family’s pool. He later passed away. The heartbreak was unimaginable, and the path to healing—both individually and as a couple—was long, painful, and complex.
In the wake of their loss, Amber and Granger began a new journey—a calling toward ministry and helping others find hope in the midst of their pain. Yet, the road has been anything but easy.
Amber’s new book, The Girl on the Bathroom Floor: Held Together When Everything is Falling Apart, chronicles her journey of encountering God in the depths of grief and learning to take steps forward after unspeakable sorrow.
In this powerful conversation, Davey and Amber discuss the role of lament in processing pain, how to be present for others walking through deep suffering, and how to navigate the guilt that often follows tragedy.
If you or someone you love has experienced the loss of a child, this episode offers a message of hope—that even when everything feels like it’s falling apart, there is a God who holds you through the pain.
How do we hold on to hope when life is filled with pain and disappointment? What role can prayer play in our suffering as we learn to cling to hope?
Sally Breedlove and Willa Kane became friends through a shared commitment to prayer during a season marked by uncertainty. In 2020, as the world faced the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, they felt led to invite others into daily rhythms of prayer—and thus, Eighth Day Prayers was born. The name "Eighth Day" reflects the day of Jesus’ resurrection, symbolizing the invitation to live into the hope of Christ. What began as a simple practice during a global crisis grew into a ministry that continues through their three-book series, Eighth Day Prayers, which follows the liturgical calendar and invites readers into a life of rhythmic, intentional prayer.
Through their personal journeys of suffering—including the loss of a grandchild, the death of a parent by suicide, significant health diagnoses, and challenges in business—Sally and Willa have found prayer to be a steadying force, grounding them in hope and anchoring their walk with Jesus.
In this episode, Davey sits down with Sally and Willa to discuss the simplicity and depth of prayer, how it sustains us in seasons of deep pain, and why it remains a vital part of our spiritual formation.
If you’ve ever wrestled with the tension between hope and heartbreak, this conversation offers encouragement and perspective, reminding us that God can hold our hardest emotions and invites us into an honest, ongoing dialogue with Him through prayer.
What do we do when pain and trauma affect our children? How can we guide them through the complex journey of grief and loss?
Erin Nelson has walked through depths of sorrow that few can imagine. She lost her first husband in a sudden plane crash, her mother to suicide, and her young adult son in a tragic car accident. Having experienced grief in its rawest forms, Erin found healing—and through it, a calling. She channeled her pain into purpose by founding Jessica's House, a grief support center for children, teens, and their families.
As Jessica's House has grown, Erin has partnered with others who share her heart, including Colleen Montague, a licensed therapist and the center’s program director. Together, they co-authored When Grief Comes Home: A Gentle Guide for Living Through Loss While Supporting Your Child, a compassionate resource designed to help families facing the unimaginable.
In this deeply meaningful conversation, Davey sits down with Erin and Colleen to explore how our most painful experiences can become the foundation for our life’s purpose, how to recognize what grief looks like in children, and how to have honest conversations with kids about loss.
If you or someone you love is trying to help a child navigate grief, this episode offers practical tools and guidance for supporting young hearts through profound hurt.
How do you even begin to talk to God when life is unfolding in ways you never wanted? What can prayer do when the pain feels unbearably raw and deep?
For Rachel Wojo, these questions became deeply personal. She never could have imagined the depth of suffering she would walk through—navigating her daughter’s terminal diagnosis and eventual passing, enduring betrayal in a first marriage that ended in divorce, and losing her mother in her twenties and her father while writing her book, Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life’s Darkest Moments. Pain came from every direction. And yet, in her desperation, Rachel discovered strength through raw, honest conversations with God.
In this episode, Davey and Rachel talk about the wrestlings that come with a difficult diagnosis, the vital role of prayer in our darkest seasons, and how remembering God's past faithfulness can help us move forward through grief and heartbreak.
If you’ve ever struggled to find the words to say to God in your most desperate moments, this conversation will remind you that you don’t need perfect prayers—just an honest heart willing to keep reaching for Him, even in the pain.
How do we support those in pain when we ourselves don’t have all the answers? How can we be present when we’re uncomfortable with the silence, the sorrow, and the questions that come with loss and tragedy?
Pastor Jerry McFarland felt a twinge uncertainty the day he received a phone call asking him to visit a stranger at a local children’s hospital. Unsure of what he could say or offer, he still chose to show up—to step into someone else’s pain as an act of obedience to “mourn with those who mourn.” That’s when he met Amy Sylvestre, a mother clinging to hope as her infant son, Hudson, fought for his life.
Healing didn’t come in the way Amy had hoped. But through Jerry’s quiet presence—a man she had never met before that hospital stay—Amy encountered the grace of God in the darkest chapter of her story. It was his willingness to sit with her in grief, to make space for her questions, her anger, and her heartbreak, that allowed her to begin to find comfort and hope again.
In this tender episode, guest host Amy Sylvestre sits down with Jerry to reflect on that experience and explore what it means to walk with others through pain, how to entrust God with what is most precious, and why it's not only okay—but necessary—to let people be honest in their sorrow.
Whether you're a leader or simply someone who knows a person in pain, this conversation will remind you: you don’t need to have the right words or the perfect response. Your presence, your listening ear, and your willingness to show up may be exactly what someone needs in the hardest part of their story.
What do you do when you are faced with an unbearable decision? How do you walk firmly in faith when you know the outcome will most likely be devastation?
For former local news anchor and author, Brooke Martin, and her husband, the choice to carry their daughter, Emma Noelle, to term even though she was diagnosed with a condition that meant she would not survive outside the womb, was one of trust. Although they knew pain was on the other side of their second pregnancy, they also knew that God could be glorified as they walked out their faith. While she only got a few short minutes with her daughter alive after her birth, Brooke has seen the ways in which God has used the pain and suffering to bring glory to Himself. With the vision of how life's fires can completely destroy or bring about unimaginable fruit, Brooke wrote the book Controlled Burn: Rising from the Ashes to Forge an Unshakable Faith and shared how her own story of pain brought about so much spiritual growth.
In this moving conversation, Davey and Brooke discuss how we can step out in faith in decisions that feel impossible either way, why praying for God to be glorified is such a powerful request, and what grief looks like as time moves forward.
If you've ever felt like an unexpected fire has rolled into your life, this episode will give you the courage to let it burn away what needs to be and watch as new life springs forth from the ashes when you lean on your faith in whatever suffering you are facing.
How do you heal as a parent when your worst fears come true? How do you move through the pain of losing a child unexpectedly to a drug addiction?
Pastor Lance Ward and his wife, Jeni, tried to fight the tight grip addiction had on their son Kyle but lost him suddenly to a fentanyl overdose. The secret life he was living was well-hidden until it was too late and Kyle succumbed to the pull of pills. While completely shocked and upended by their loss, Lance and Jeni saw God's faithfulness after losing Kyle and the healing that came in the midst of their unexpected pain.
In this raw conversation, Aubrey sits with Lance and Jeni to discuss how addiction can impact a family, how to walk alongside those who lose a loved one to addiction, and where to find God in the paths life can take us on unexpectedly.
If you've lost a loved one to addiction or know someone who has, this episode will remind you that God will continue to show up in the pain of addiction and the destruction that can follow.
What do we do with the secrets that keep us hidden in shame and despair? How do we tell our story in such a way that we can experience the true freedom that God has for us?
For author, entrepreneur, and founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Anne Beiler, the pain that came after losing a child in a tragic accident and the abuse she experienced at the hands of someone who should have helped her in her suffering, left her despairing and empty. It was only when she brought her secrets out of the dark and into the light that she was set free from the bondage of shame and pain that were set on destroying her. She shares her journey in her latest book, “The Secret Lies Within: An Inside Out Look at Overcoming Trauma and Finding Purpose in the Pain”.
In this tender conversation, Aubrey sits with Anne to talk about how the Holy Spirit can help us in our suffering, the power that is found in sharing our painful secrets, and how to let go of the shame that grips us.
If you've ever found yourself drowning in the shame of a secret from your past, this episode will encourage you to find a safe person to share your pain with and experience the freedom of being known and bringing the darkness into the light.
How do we begin to help young children understand loss? What can we do to help little ones grieve while we are walking through it alongside them?
For author, speaker, and podcaster Annie F. Downs, these questions became real when her infant nephew, TJ, passed away from a severe medical condition less than two months after he was born. Wanting to help her sister, Tatum Green, and her young son, Sam, process through this loss, Annie did what she was uniquely gifted to do. She wrote Sam a book to help him as he tried to grasp the loss of his little brother. Once it was written, Annie and Tatum knew that this book needed to be offered to other families beyond theirs who were trying to figure out through how to walk young kids through unimaginable losses and so together, they created the final version, “Where did TJ Go? A Book for Kids on Grief and Loss”. In it, they help children ask the hard questions that can come when they lose someone they love and find hope through the Gospel.
In this honest conversation, Davey sits with Annie and Tatum to talk about how a loss impacts a whole family, the best ways we can show up for those we love in their grief, and what we learn about the mystery of God through the rawness of our struggles and questions.
If you or someone you love is trying to navigate how to guide a young child through loss, this episode will encourage you that while it can be hard and difficult, simply giving kids the space to ask tough questions and talk about what they are feeling is the first step in walking them through the pain of grief and finding hope along the way.
How do we get out of the negative patterns in our marriage? What impact does learning to regulate our own emotions have on our relationships?
For authors Ron and Nan Deal, it wasn't until they learned to self-regulate their own emotions after the built up pain from their stories and the loss of their child that they began to find healing in the destructive cycles in their marriage. When their relationship had reached a critical point, they found hope and help in the work of Dr. Terry and Sharon Hargrave, whose transformational Restoration Therapy gave Ron and Nan a path forward together in healing. In their new book, The Mindful Marriage: Create Your Best Relationship Through Understanding and Managing Yourself, Ron and Nan, along with the Hargraves, share both Biblical principles and neuroscience that will help create a more loving, faithful marriage for readers.
In this honest and raw conversation, Davey sits down with Ron and Nan to talk about the impact family of origin has in our relationships, why emotional regulation is so important, and how learning to renew your mind can help your brain heal from unhealthy patterns of thinking and relating with your spouse.
No matter what state your marriage is in currently, this episode will show you how learning about your own unhelpful ways of coping can bring healing, hope, and flourishing to your most important relationship-your marriage.
How can hospitality and kindness be a conduit for life-transforming change? What can happen when we open our hearts and homes to those in need of hope?
Craig Cooper was a church planting pastor when his path crossed with a struggling Nashville musician named Walker Hayes. Walker was a self-proclaimed atheist and an alcoholic who lost a record deal and was struggling to make ends meet. Craig and his whole family welcomed Walker and his family into their lives. Loving them well, showing up when they needed a friend, and helping them as needs came up in life. It was through their friendship that God began to soften Walker's heart towards the gospel. He would eventually quit drinking and said yes to Jesus, forever changing his life. After his life changed internally, he also experienced an outward shift as he got a record deal and a hit country song called "Fancy Like." Craig and Walker chronicled their unique and pivotal friendship in their book called Glad You're Here: Two Unlikely Friends Breaking Bread and Fences.
In this episode, Davey and Craig discuss the importance of walking with people through the highs and lows, how Scripture can help us in the valley, and why grace through friendship is so significant in a generation facing an epidemic of loneliness.
If you've ever wondered how you can be a conduit of God's grace to those right next door, this conversation will encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and open your home and heart to those in your life who need it most.
WARNING: This episode contains conversations about suicide and may not be suitable for all listeners/viewers.
What do you do when your worst nightmare comes true after a painful battle with a loved one's mental illness? How do you hold the tension between hope and the mysteries of God in your life after loss?
For author, speaker, advocate and pastor's wife Kay Warren, learning to hold onto hope after losing her son Matthew while accepting the mysteries of all she did not understand was difficult. Kay and her husband, author and Pastor Rick Warren, had walked a long, difficult journey through Matthew's lifelong struggle with mental health and faced every parent's worst fear coming true when their adult son died by suicide. Kay experienced the depths of grief and sorrow as she wrestled with God to make sense of such a tragedy. But her pain has given her the opportunity to become an advocate for mental health in the church and a voice of hope for parents who are facing a similar journey.
In this honest conversation, Davey and Kay talk about how reality, grief, and hope must all co-exist together, why we need both hope and mystery as we look back on our pain, and how to deal with the shame and guilt after losing a loved one to suicide.
If you've found it hard to hold on to hope in the darkness of your suffering, this episode will light a pathway towards it.
How do we hold onto faith in a world full of so much suffering and sorrow? Where do we find hope in the mystery of all the pain?
For Recording Artist and Author Ellie Holcomb working out her faith through song has always been the way God has invited her into the hope that exists in suffering. After walking through several years of losses and devastating heartache in the lives of those she loved, Ellie began to notice the ways in which so much of the goodness and joy in her life came birthed out of the pain. It is through music that she often shares her own wrestlings and the ways in which God allows us each the opportunity to experience hope in the canyons of the most difficult times. Her latest album, All of My Days, are Psalms set to music that have given her hope in the pain and suffering of this life.
In this episode, Davey and Ellie consider how we can get comfortable with the questions and doubts that arise out of our pain, where we can see God in the valleys of life and the incredible invitation to hope in the midst of it all.
If you've ever struggled to understand the mystery so present in pain, this conversation will be a balm to your soul as you are reminded that God is big enough to handle every question, every doubt, and every frustration we have in our most difficult days.
How do we begin to lead our generation through pain? What do we do with the tension of our heartache and the hope we have in Jesus?
For author and pastor Levi Lusko, learning to grieve the loss of his daughter Lenya while leading others through their own pain has been a beautiful dance of both sorrow and hope. After losing Lenya from an asthma attack, Levi began to write down everything God was teaching him in the aftermath. Those lessons would eventually become a part of his best-selling book, Through the Eyes of a Lion: Facing Impossible Pain, Finding Incredible Power. Years later as Davey found himself in the depths of his pain after losing his wife Amanda, it was a text from Levi that would encourage his spirit and help him to find a way through his own grief.
In this encouraging conversation, Davey and Levi talk about how to deal with the feelings of guilt that can sometimes accompany a loss, why building a strong marriage is so important before a major trial, and the ways in which each new grief is unique.
If you've struggled to hold the tension between the hurt you've experienced and the hope you have in Christ, this episode will remind you that even with hope, our hurt will still hurt and God is with us through it all.
Warning: This episode briefly mentions suicidal ideation and may not be suitable for all listeners.
What happens when we realize all our methods to find healing are merely ineffective attempts of self-help? How can pain lead us into a true understanding of our utter dependence and need for God in our lives?
Former country music recording artist and author Granger Smith found himself attempting to do everything "by the book" when it came to dealing with the drowning death of his young son, River. He did everything self-help offered when it came to finding healing and yet, it all fell flat. It was then that God revealed to him that he did not have the power to heal himself. The healing he needed could come only through the gospel of Jesus Christ. From then, Granger turned away from a nominal faith into a saving one and was able to experience the true depths of healing from his shame and guilt over the loss of his son. He gave up his successful music career and began seminary and ministry in his local church. Granger recently wrote about the story of this journey of losing River and his newfound authentic faith in his book, Like a River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward After Loss and Heartache.
In this episode, Davey and Granger talk about how self-help can't truly heal us, the difference between a nominal faith and a saving one, and how the gospel is what we need most when it comes to finding healing that can last.
If you've ever turned to self-help in an attempt to assuage the guilt, shame, or hurt from your past, only to find it unable to do so, this conversation will encourage you to look for healing in the only one who can truly help: Jesus Christ.
How do you keep choosing to truly live after losing one of the closest people in your life? What does it look like to show up when you're feeling the depths of grief?
For our Nothing is Wasted podcast co-host, author, pastor and speaker, Aubrey Sampson, learning how to allow life to come in again through the cracks of her pain after losing her best friend, Jenn, was difficult. Finding her way through the grief without having the person she could always process pain with felt impossible. And yet, through it all, Aubrey began to see how even in one of her greatest losses, there were moments where she could keep death from winning by choosing to find joy and life in what was in front of her. It was there that she could begin to see God's redemption in her heartache and fight back against darkness.
In this vulnerable conversation, Davey sits down with Aubrey to discuss how redemption often doesn't look like we think it will, how to begin to move forward after losing someone you love, and what to do when God's presence feels more like absence in your pain.
If you've ever experienced the loss of a best friend or have wondered how to even begin to live again in grief, this episode will inspire you to keep choosing to show up fully in the one, precious life you've been given.
The holidays can feel especially tender for those of us who have recently experienced a loss, trauma or transition. Figuring out how to move through a season where it can seem like the whole world is experiencing happiness while we are struggling with feelings of grief and sadness is hard.
How do we begin to find hope for the holidays? How do we navigate the waves of emotions and the changes in traditions we once held so dear?
In this special release episode, join Amy Sylvestre, Community Director here at Nothing is Wasted, as she shares practical wisdom from a previously recorded masterclass called Hope for the Holidays: Navigating the Season When it Hurts. This podcast episode is a special gift to you, our Nothing is Wasted listeners, as you walk through this season.
If the holidays feel different than years past because of the pain you are enduring, let this episode offer you tangible ways to honor your grief and make it through this Christmas season.
How can we begin to process our stories after a life-altering loss? Where can hope be found in the midst of insufferable pain? How do we connect the dots and find God's hand in our lives when suffering overshadows?
For Joan Kelley, those were difficult questions to answer after losing her teenage son, Will, to cancer. Yet, she found healing through looking at her life and the ways God has shown up, even in her worst pain. By going back in her own story, she has since been able to help walk alongside others in theirs by offering a listening ear or spiritual direction. And she has used what pain has taught her to bring hope and healing to those she encounters. While Joan knows she doesn't have all the answers, her journey has brought incredible lessons of faith, endurance, and how God can be trusted even in our darkest seasons.
In this episode, Davey sits down to talk with Joan about how everyone can use their unique wirings to bring hope to the hurting, why we have to make the time for our grief, and how processing your own story is pivotal in whatever healing path you are on.
Whatever the loss, Joan's story reminds us that we can all get to the place in our grief where we can still dare to hope.
If you've been around here at Nothing is Wasted, you probably know the story of how we came to be as a ministry. It was after his own pain to purpose journey in which Davey Blackburn lost his wife, Amanda, and their unborn child in a tragic home invasion that God birthed this idea of a ministry that walked others through whatever pain they faced.
In this special two-part conversation, Davey sits down with Aubrey to discuss what the past few months have been like as the legal side of their journey came to a close with the trial and sentencing of the perpetrator of Amanda's murder.
For many, it may come as a surprise that this part of their story is just now happening, seven years after that fateful day that forever changed Davey's life. And yet, for the Blackburn's and Amanda's family, the significance of the number seven, a number that means completion in Scripture, is more than a mere coincidence. In spite of all the suffering they've endured, the timing is just another reminder that God has been with them every step of the way. And as this chapter in their journey comes to a close, a new one is beginning.
In Part 2 of this two-part episode, Davey shares walking through the sentencing of one of the accomplices in Amanda's case, how you never know the impact your response to your story may have on others, and the wrestlings that can come as we struggle to understand God's justice in our hurt.
Whether you've been following Davey's journey since the beginning or if you are new to the Nothing is Wasted family, this conversation will encourage you to press into the hard parts of your journey with God because His faithfulness will be revealed and redemption will come in the most unexpected of ways.
If you've been around here at Nothing is Wasted, you probably know the story of how we came to be as a ministry. It was after his own pain to purpose journey in which Davey Blackburn lost his wife, Amanda, and their unborn child in a tragic home invasion that God birthed this idea of a ministry that walked others through whatever pain they faced.
In this special two-part conversation, Davey sits down with Aubrey to discuss what the past few months have been like as the legal side of their journey came to a close with the trial and sentencing of the perpetrator of Amanda's murder.
For many, it may come as a surprise that this part of their story is just now happening, seven years after that fateful day that forever changed Davey's life. And yet, for the Blackburn's and Amanda's family, the significance of the number seven, a number that means completion in Scripture, is more than a mere coincidence. In spite of all the suffering they've endured, the timing is just another reminder that God has been with them every step of the way. And as this chapter in their journey comes to a close, a new one is beginning.
In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Davey recounts what he encountered during the trial, how he learned to find closure outside of the courtroom, and the way the picture of his earthly father helped him deeply understand the posture of His heavenly one in the depths of his pain.
Whether you've been following Davey's journey since the beginning or if you are new to the Nothing is Wasted family, this episode will remind you that even in the complicated parts of our story, God is ever so near.
There are moments in life where in an instant, everything changes. How do you choose joy when your whole life is blindsided by pain? How do you find hope when you don't even know what the next hour may bring?
For Kelli Campbell-Goodnow, she never imagined the turn her life would take one night in January 2016. As she went to sleep, her life was good with her loving husband, United States Marine CH-53 pilot Major Shawn Campbell and her four children that she homeschooled at their dream duty station in Hawaii. But when she awoke, she got the call that every military wife fears, there had been an accident. For five days, rescue workers searched for the wreckage of a two helicopter collision off the coast. Soon thereafter, the search ended and Shawn was among the twelve Marine lives lost.
Kelli would have to immediately step into a completely unknown life. She would pack up her home and move across the country to be with family. She would decide to put her kids in school instead of homeschooling. And she would remind herself that while everything around her was changing, God did not.
Davey and Kelli discuss why it is important to pay attention to the small details of our stories as they unfold, the daily act of surrender that grief requires of us, and the ways we can trust God even when our lives change completely.
Kelli's story will help you face whatever circumstances you are in with a determined perspective to see God in the midst of it.
Losing a spouse is devastating. Losing a spouse to suicide is full of layers of pain and questions. How do you even begin to wrap your mind around such a traumatic event and how do you walk your children through their pain? What do you do when a new tragedy stirs up your past wounds and hurts from your childhood?
Blake Williams has spent the last year navigating those questions and so many more after losing his wife, Hope, to suicide. Having wrestled with mental health issues and chronic pain, Hope took her life in the couple's home and Blake found himself in the middle of a story he had never imagined for himself or his five children. As he has started to heal and move forward, the pain was a reminder of some of the past lies that haunted him his whole life after being abandoned and rejected by his parents. Blake could have easily allowed the old scripts he so often felt in his life to become his reality, but instead, he decided to shift his perspective from that of a victim into a victor.
In this transparent conversation, Davey and Blake talk about the importance of not allowing our past to dictate our future, the paradigm shift that is necessary to keep us from going under from our hurt, and the value in learning to speak truth to the lies we are believing.
You'll be encouraged to look through a different lens when it comes to your history, no matter what you have experienced.
There are some stories with such unfathomable pain that it can seem impossible to ever see a glimpse of redemption throughout them. When the depth of heartbreak is so great, how can you ever see the light of goodness again?
Jerry Sittser has walked a road of catastrophic loss that most of us cannot even imagine. In 1991, Jerry and his wife and children were hit head on by a drunk driver. In an instant, life as Jerry knew it was completely over as the wreck claimed the life of his wife, his young daughter, his mother and the wife and unborn child of the other driver. There in the complete wreckage of his life, Jerry slowly began to learn how the must excruciating of suffering can grow the soul in unimaginable ways. The lessons Jerry learned through his own grief have served as a healing balm to many through his groundbreaking book, A Grace Disguised. Recently revised for a 25th Anniversary edition, Jerry vulnerably shared how grief has not only changed him, but grown him in ways that only suffering can. Through his story, he recognizes how all griefs, whether comparable or not to his own, invite us to step in to a grace that transforms us.
In this episode, Davey talks with Jerry about how experience can and ultimately has to be, the catalyst for our growth, the tensions that exist in pain and suffering, and how to step into the questions that inevitably come from our greatest pain.
With a hard won wisdom, a theological richness, and a profound outlook, Jerry's insight will help you process any grief you've experienced through a completely new lens. This conversation is one you'll want to listen to more than once as you glean from the deep well of Jerry's experience and wisdom.
It's every parent's worst fear to lose a child. How do you continue to trust God when your experiencing unrelenting pain? The journey after such a tragic loss is never linear and it can be full of chaotic feelings and opposing emotions. Yet God offers us an invitation to meet Him in the messiness of grief.
For Esther Lee, that invitation was often on the cold, dirty hospital bathroom floor where she cried out to the Lord so many times during her young daughter, Ava's, cancer journey. And while her grief began there and continued on well after her devastating loss of sweet Ava, she has learned that the Lord graciously allows for the anger, the questions, the fears and the doubts in the messy middle of our suffering. Esther has walked a long road of first being a parent of a child with life-threatening allergies to later receiving a diagnosis that no parent wants to hear as well as the non-stop rollercoaster of doctors and hospital visits. And while her circumstances have felt impossible and her grief has been messy, God has met her in it all.
Her story doesn't tie up in a neat, tidy bow when it comes to her pain, but instead, it is honest and authentic, one that allows for the raw emotions she feels while leaving room for the truth of God's goodness and kindness as she grapples her way through every parent's greatest fear.
In this moving conversation, Davey sits down with Esther to talk about how vital community can be after experiencing loss, the true wrestlings that can come in regards to God's goodness in our pain, how purpose shows up in small ways, and learning to worship when it feels hard.
No matter your story, you will be able to relate to Esther's wrestlings in the messiness of heartbreak and pain and find comfort in knowing that we serve a God who is not alarmed by it when we do.
Have you ever felt like you've gotten stuck in the grief? Instead of allowing the pain to bring something new and beautiful forth in your life, do you find yourself struggling to move forward?
Any loss can leave us feeling stuck, but for a parent, losing a child can make it feel like there will never be life past the devastation. For September Vaudrey, losing her beautiful, 19 year old daughter in a car accident in 2008 made her wonder if life would ever look different than it did in the aftermath of that tragedy. And yet, step by step, she began to see God's goodness as He took her pain and created beauty from ashes. It was not an easy journey by any means, but a rich one.
In this episode, September sits down with Aubrey to talk about what it looks like to get unstuck in our grief, why facing our pain head on matters so much, and how to give permission to others around us as they grieve in their own unique way.
Full of practical wisdom, this conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like moving through the pain in their story is an impossible feat but wants to try and experience the good God has on the other side of it.
It can be so hard to see, let alone accept the hand of God in the middle of our deepest pain. How can you learn to trust God's sovereignty in your darkest moments?
For Greg and Cathy Buffkin, that was no small feat. After losing their adult son Ryan to suicide, it was difficult to accept their loss and find the strength to move forward after so much pain.
Living every parent's greatest fear, the Buffkins found themselves wrestling with difficult emotions and yet, managed to find the Lord in the most heart wrenching loss they had ever endured.
From their pain, they have a new found purpose as they've sought to equip others as they navigate walking alongside someone who has lost a child.
In this episode, Davey sits down with Greg and Cathy to talk about what it looks like to experience God's sovereignty in grief, the best ways to support someone who has lost a child, and the difference between healthy and unhealthy ways of healing after loss.
Grief is an inevitable part of our lives this side of heaven, which is why this conversation is so important for all of us as we come face to face with pains we never imagined.
Whether or not you've endured the loss of a child, this episode will give you important insight into what it means to choose healing when grief threatens to overwhelm.
What do you do when fear wants to rule your life after loss? How do you find freedom when anxiety threatens to steal your peace?
For Katie Piazza, it was the truth from God and His Word that set her free from what could have been a life full of unending anxiety. After losing her young daughter Colette to cancer, Katie faced a decision that would be difficult for any mother to make: would she allow fear and despair to rule over her life and home or would she choose the antidote to fear, Jesus? Though a long and difficult journey, Katie choose to place her hope in Christ even after such a devastating loss. From that, she has experienced freedom like never before.
In this episode, Davey sits down with Katie to talk about how to reconcile God's goodness in the midst of terrible circumstances, where to place our hope when life is hard, and how to live unafraid of the future in spite of all the pain and grief we face.
You don't have to know the deep ache of losing a child to encounter the incredible encouragement Katie's story and faith offers to anyone who wrestles with fear, despair or regret in a broken world.
In this episode, Megan joins Davey to talk about learning to take difficult seasons step by step, why knowing the truth of God's Word matters in the midst of it and how community can help us along the way in our pain.
Whether infertility is part of your story or not, this conversation will teach you how to walk in your own hurt over the loss of a dream as well as how to help others through theirs.
Masterclasses:
Grief is a sacred space where the veil of heaven gets pulled back. And yet, for so many, it can be hard to know how to respond to someone else's hurt.
Jeff and Mackenzie Rollins have experienced the depths of loss after losing their daughter. Since they have been through every parent's greatest fear, they have learned the holy way of holding space for those who are grieving through their ministry called Hope Family Care, which walks alongside families who have lost a child.
In this masterclass, Holding A Sacred Space: How to Walk Alongside A Grieving Heart, the Rollins will show you how to:
Step into the space of grief and loss
Practical ways to show you care
Why it matters to meet people in their suffering
If you've ever been at a loss when it comes to someone's pain, this class will give you the tools to meet people in their grief and guide them through it.
Resources
Website: https://hopefamilycareministries.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopefamilycareministries/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopefamilycareministries/
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The holidays can be some of the hardest days after loss. Figuring out what to do with past traditions or navigating the painful reminders of a holiday without someone you love can be devastating. We know there is no magic solution to making it through the holidays, but we want to help you as you move through those days.
In this masterclass called Hope for the Holidays: Navigating the Season When it Hurts with Amy Sylvestre, a certified coach at Nothing is Wasted, Amy will help you as you enter the holiday season and share:
When and how to grieve and When and how to celebrate
How to handle traditions and triggers
Practical tips for navigating the holiday season when it hurts
Walking through the holidays after loss can feel impossible, but we know there are ways to navigate that season with hope and healing and we want to help you do so!
Resources
Website: https://amysylvestre.com/
Bonus Episodes:
Live Events:
Pain to Purpose Coaching
Need someone to walk with you through your valley? Our Nothing is Wasted Certified Coaches are ready to help you find your way from pain into purpose. Hire yours today by scheduling a free connection call and we’ll help you started with one-on-one help.
Have you found this Pathway helpful? Be sure to check out our other Pathways for more inspiring stories of hope in the face of tragedy, trauma and pain.
Let these Pathways be a roadmap for you on your healing journey.
How can we begin to untangle the thoughts and emotions that are keeping us stuck or pushing us toward unhealthy forms of coping? What does it look like to embrace the God-given agency we have over our minds?
Dr. Lee Warren is a practicing neurosurgeon who has experienced the depths of grief and loss after losing his son, Mitch, years ago. Through his own journey of pain and healing—as well as his deep understanding of the brain as a neurosurgeon—he began to connect the truth of what Scripture says about our minds and thoughts with the science of the brain. Dr. Warren believes each of us has the ability to do “brain surgery” on ourselves in order to experience deeper healing from loss, trauma, and the wounds we encounter throughout life.
In his book, The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery: Connecting Neuroscience and Faith to Radically Transform Your Life, Dr. Warren helps readers understand the power they have in their healing journey while offering practical wisdom for growing through difficulty into resilience.
In this conversation, Davey and Dr. Warren discuss the difference between the brain and the mind, the incredible power our thoughts have in the healing process, and why God gave us emotions in the first place.
If you are feeling stuck and find yourself turning to unhealthy habits or patterns in the midst of pain, this episode will encourage you with the hope that God can radically transform your life as you learn the life-changing art of self-brain surgery.