While We're Waiting® - Hope After Child Loss
This is a podcast FOR bereaved parents BY bereaved parents. Join your host, Jill Sullivan, as she talks with parents who have lost children of all ages to all types of circumstances. This is a podcast of stories ... stories of devastating loss and grief and heartbreak and struggle ... and stories of hope and healing and faith, and yes, even joy. Underlying every conversation will be the hope we have in Jesus Christ, which makes it possible to not just survive the loss of a child, but to live well while we're waiting to see them again in Heaven one day. Visit our website at www.WhileWereWaiting.org for more information about our nonprofit ministry to bereaved parents.
While We're Waiting® - Hope After Child Loss
286 | When Christmas Feels Broken
Christmas can feel especially heavy after the death of a child. Traditions that once brought joy may now magnify the absence, and the expectations of the season can feel overwhelming for a heart that is grieving.
In this episode, I gather the voices of While We’re Waiting retreat and support group facilitators—bereaved moms and dads who share honest reflections and practical wisdom for navigating Christmas after loss. Their stories offer permission to do things differently, encouragement to take the season one moment at a time, and gentle ideas for honoring a child’s memory while holding space for grief.
You’ll hear about:
- Giving yourself grace and lowering expectations
- Accepting help and having an exit plan
- Letting Christmas look different than it used to
- Finding meaningful ways to remember and include your child
- Allowing grief and joy to coexist
- Anchoring your heart in the hope of Immanuel—God with us
There is no right way to do Christmas after loss. Take what is helpful, leave what is not, and know that you are not alone. Even when Christmas feels broken, God is near, and His light still shines in the darkness.
** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.
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Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org