Hey, my friend. Welcome back to Let’s Encourage One Another.
I can still remember the look of dread on my boss’ face when he realized what was going on.
I was standing in the copy room scanning in pictures of a girl from our church who had passed away. She was the daughter of one of the staff members and we were preparing for her funeral service.
This was at a larger church where I worked, and as the newest member of the Communication Team, the task fell to me to scan the photos in. I didn’t mind at all. It was a way to help, to serve, to ease the stress of others.
I loved seeing the pictures of her. Oh, it was bittersweet to be sure. She had such life in the photos. It seemed unfathomable that she was no longer with us.
But what my boss didn’t know, and what had caused the look of dread on his face, was that even though I was the newest member of the team, I was also probably the one closest to her.
You see, she was in my small group on Sunday nights. Sunday night services were small. More intimate. And often times, this young girl was the only one who showed up to our class.
It meant lots of one-on-one time with her. She and I were both kind of quiet. We would play for awhile first, then listen to the lesson from the teacher together, then break off into a part of the room to talk about what we had heard.
Now, my grief was nothing like that of her family’s. But it was still grief. And it would be easy for me—and for others—to say I had no right to grieve at all.
But that wasn’t true.
Grief impacts all of us in different ways. And today, I want to share a special conversation I had with Natasha Smith.
Natasha has a book that is releasing today called Can You Just Sit With Me? And, my friend, it is such a lovely book. She shares her grief story and then she writes about some of the things you’ll hear us talk about today:
- Types of grief
- Iterations of healing
- Feelings of grief and loss
- Telling our stories
- Collective grief
- And how to handle grief when it feels overwhelming
I know that grief isn’t always a fun topic. But I dare say that what Natasha shares is both encouraging and hopeful. Be sure to reach out to her after the episode ends to thank her for sharing with us today, and be sure to grab a copy of her book, as well.
Let’s dive into my conversation with Natasha.
[interview]
MEET NATASHA:
Natasha Smith is a wife, mom, and NC native. She is a writer, speaker, and podcaster, who shares stories on faith, family, and grief. She has inspired others through her writing for over 12 years. Her work has appeared in Guideposts and Focus on the Family print publications. And Her View From Home, TODAY Parents, Pray with Confidence, and other e-publications.
CONNECT WITH NATASHA:
- Website
- Book: Can You Just Sit With Me?
RELATED EPISODES:
- Episodes 9 + 10: Supporting a Friend Through Grief (And Walking Through It Yourself) with Karen Altizer
- Episode 50: Gritty Faith in the Midst of Grief with Prayer Artist Jessy Paulson
- Episode 93: After the Flowers Die: An Honest Talk About Grief with Author Renee Leonard Kennedy
- Episode 102: Sitting with Others in their Grief and Loss with Grief Coach Julie Lynn Ashley
You can do more than just read a Bible story; you can actually enter into the story itself and experience God.
And you don’t have to be a Bible scholar to do it.
In the Imagine devotional, you’ll dive into a different story in the Bible and get a taste of what a person’s life might have looked like as they encountered God through their specific circumstances.
