Grief: Turning the Hurt into Help

Child loss was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through in my adult life. I wasn’t sure if I’d survive this time four years ago, but miraculously, I am still here. I’m not only living but thriving in a way I never thought possible. Sure, life is different than it used to be. Yes, the tears still flow, and the sadness can still overwhelm my heart at times, but not like the tsunami it used to be. Somehow, God has taken the grief, turning the hurt into help for others. 

When I think back to the morning of February 19, 2020, it sometimes seems like a dream or nightmare. While I held on to the phone for 90 minutes, waiting for the police to tell me if my daughter was alive, I thought this was something I’d only read about in the newspaper. This couldn’t possibly be happening to me! 

God has the strangest way of taking our ashes and making them into something beautiful. He does it in a way that only He alone can do. He can change our lives and hearts, taking our grief and turning the hurt into help. I wrote about this a few years ago, and it’s worth resharing: How A Mess Becomes Your Message.