Mathetis is excited to announce the release of a new course, “Good Grief,” by Ripple of Light Ministries, aimed to provide insight into coping with loss of a loved one through interviews with people who have experienced loss.
While on earth, we are not shielded from the pain, grief and suffering this world bears. In our newly released course, “Good Grief,” Chris McCurley interviews Christians who have experienced loss and discusses how their experiences impacted their relationship with God. McCurley is the host of the podcast Dear Church with Ripple of Light Ministries. This is a Christian multimedia ministry that spreads news of the gospel throughout the world, equips the church and reaches the lost through podcasts, topical programs and series.
“Good Grief” is composed of four different lessons:
- Grieving the Loss of an Unborn Child
- Grieving the Loss of a Child/Grieving with God
- Grieving the Loss of a Spouse
- Grieving the Loss of a Loved One to Suicide
We might know in our minds that God is with us through these types of losses, but our broken hearts can still feel that God is far away. In these lessons, the speakers discuss honestly how they wrestled with their faith as they grieved their loss. They expound on what helped them through these intense mourning periods and how they continue through the process even years later.
The series begins with the topic of “Grieving the Loss of an Unborn Child.” As McCurley talks with Dean Meadows, the executive director of The Daily Apologist, Meadows explains how his research in apologetics helped him cope with the struggles he faced while dealing with loss of his unborn daughter. Dean states, “The integration between apologetics and (the loss of our daughter) is key because I honestly believe that apologetics has saved me from a really serious crisis of faith.”
In the lesson “Grieving the Loss of a Child/Grieving with God,” Michael Whitworth talks openly about his conversations with God after the loss of his son. Michael says, “The conversations get very, very raw. And obviously it’s difficult because no one is talking back.” He goes on to reference Lamentations 3 and how Jeremiah’s honesty about his relationship with God helped Michael as he struggled with God after losing his son.
Watch this clip from the podcast with Chris and Michael about grieving the loss of a child:
In “Grieving the loss of a spouse”, McCurley interviews Jeff Jenkins, the co-founder of The Jenkins Institute, about his walk of faith after the loss of his wife to cancer. Jenkins says, “We can get angry with God and blame God or we can take what has happened to us and allow that to fuel our desires, plans and goals.” Jenkins explains how rather than blaming God, we can find motivation in our grief to strengthen our faithfulness to God. “My conversations [with God became] deeper and more meaningful… I’ve got to do everything within my power to live a life that glorifies [God] and to do what I believe he has called me to do so that I can go [to heaven] whenever that time comes.”
In the lesson “Grieving the Loss of a Loved One to Suicide,” Steve Willis, a licensed therapist who works with trauma and anxiety disorders, walks us through the grieving timeline and what we can do to show our compassion and support for those grieving. He explains not everyone has the same timeline, but there is a healthy process which people need to follow to cope with a loss.
Grief is a natural process everyone encounters at some point in their life. The loss of a spouse, child or the pain of losing someone to suicide are all tragic events that can lead to intense grief which can rattle the foundation of one’s faith. These lessons are packed with applicable teachings for coping with grief. God has not promised a pain-free life, but he does promise to help us through the trials we experience on this earth. Lamentations 3:31-32 says, “For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.” Begin “Good Grief” today and discover new insights from God’s word that will help you through grief and equip you to help others.
To find out more about Ripple of Light Ministries and their amazing programs, visit their website at rippleoflight.org. They can also be found on Facebook, YouTube and Spotify.
Check out all of our courses by Ripple of Light:
