Word To Your Mothers welcomes back guest Maria to the podcast. Maria is a dear friend of host Sondra Doty. Maria helps others by sharing on grief associated with event-based traumas, as well as chronic traumas (special needs, chronic illness and more.)
An educator for more than a decade, Maria is a speaker, facilitator and mentor for women's grief recovery; she's led Biblical finances and discipleship groups, and she's a support group leader for mothers and educators. Maria has been involved one way or another in youth and children's ministry for many decades and has a background in business administration, marketing, theological studies, communications, small group development, and education. She loves to read, write, travel and have candid conversations with sincere people. Maria has been married for nearly 30 years and is a parent to three teens and young adults.
This episode is part two of the series. Host Sondra Doty and guest Maria continue their conversation around grief and getting the appropriate help-as informed by their own personal circumstances and research.
Sondra and Maria explain: We have to be open to getting all kinds of help to gain healing. Gather resources from many different directions and areas. Sometimes, we get stuck on things that don't matter and block us. We can easily get in our own way-preventing us from getting the appropriate help.
If you have gone through a traumatic experience, then get help from someone who specializes in that specific trauma. Think of it like this: You wouldn't consult a foot doctor to treat something going wrong with your eyes. Also important is to realize that vulnerability in your grieving helps bring you a community of people that want to support you. Consider how you might be vulnerable and share the best you know how in that moment. What you share helps others serve you well in circumstances they might not have experienced.
And for those trying to comfort a person grieving, know that you can easily and unknowingly give too much information- so much that is can overwhelm that person. Give resources when you sense people are ready. Always ask questions first. You don't have to be the end all, be all to people. Sometimes, all you have to do is sit with someone, say nothing and hold their hand. Take care not to judge how people are getting help, as well.
For your action step, Sondra and Maria would like to encourage you read the book: What Grieving People Wish You Knew (about what really helps and what really hurts), by Nancey Guthrie
Episode Resources:
Suffering, Gospel Hope When Life Doesn't Make Sense by Paul David Tripp
Trusting God, by Jerry Bridges
Psalm 94:17-18
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