Our Hearts Are Home Podcast — Trusting God in Suffering

In this message given at the recent Our Hearts Are Home conference, missionary pastor, speaker, author, and bereaved father, Mark Roser, shares his heart and shows us through Scripture, the heart of God. "Enlargement by Grief" (aka Good Grief) is a deep dive into God’s redemptive purposes in allowing grief and sorrow. Because God loves, He knows full well what it feels like to have a heart full of pain. But God can use our greatest sorrow to transform us in ways nothing else can. The Bible has much to say about how God works the worst things in life for our good and the good of others. Listen in and be encouraged.

For those of us who have experienced the pain of child loss, we need to draw near to God now more than ever. However, in the midst of our trauma, God can sometimes feel far away. Questions and confusion naturally arise. If we trusted Him and this horrible event happened, how can we continue to trust Him? Who is this God that allowed this to happen? Does He really care about me? Does it even make a difference? What makes a person cry says a lot about them. We certainly have shed our share of tears while grieving the death of our children. In this session, we will explore the things that brought tears to the eyes of Jesus. By examining these events, we hope to better understand the heart and character of Jesus in a way that will help us embrace His love and trustworthiness and experience His personal presence amidst our sorrow.

In this podcast, Ernie and Karen Richards share the story of their son, Levi, and of the grief journey they have walked since his home-going. Levi was a remarkably talented young man who loved Jesus and was loved deeply by his family and friends. In 2016, without warning, he went to Heaven by suicide.

If you are a bereaved parent, we hope you'll find the words of Ernie and Karen to be a comfort and that you will glean new insights that may be useful in your own journey. And if you are listening today and have not lost a child, this episode will help you better know how to come alongside grieving parents in their greatest time of need.

For grieving parents, holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, can be especially difficult. This podcast airs the audio from a recent webinar that discusses strategies for navigating these special days, and also suggests a host of ideas of how you can honor and remember your loved ones during the holidays. If you've lost someone dear to you, we hope you'll find encouragement and new ideas in this podcast. And if you haven't lost someone, we hope you'll find insights to help equip you to minister to those who have.

Today we welcome to the podcast, Mike Straley, a dad, author, and along with his wife Robin, founder of Leah's Legacy. An amazing and talented young woman, Leah suffered from addiction for many years. After she passed, he and Robin started an organization to help women in recovery. Incredibly, a few years after Leah died, they lost their son, Christopher, in a car accident. In the midst of the unfathomable grief of losing both children, Mike can testify to the goodness of God in holding them and strengthening them through the devastating days of grief.

Today’s podcast features a conversation with Dave and Janet Boxx, bereaved parents who have three children in Heaven. Their first child, Cole, was born still, then Bethany and Katie passed after a car accident involving the whole family. As they share the story of their children, they share insights that are helpful to those who are new to this journey. If you are grieving the loss of someone you love, this podcast will encourage you.

In today’s episode, Emily Matuza shares her heart about the deep losses of several family members and how the Lord has faithfully held her in her grief journey. She experienced the devastation that suicide brings in the loss of her precious son, Joey. In a short period of time, she also lost her brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and recently, her mother went to Heaven after suffering with Alzheimer's. Through all of the grief, Emily has seen the hand of God working in her life, and felt His sustaining love surrounding her. Emily also offers her thoughts directly to bereaved parents and shares truths learned from her own journey. Her words will encourage you!

In today's podcast, we share a conversation with Dr. Yevgeniy Dovgalyuk, president of Liya Christian Ministry. The ministry was started in memory of his sister, Liya, who went to Heaven at the age of thirteen. The focus of the ministry is to share the Gospel and make disciples through the power of music. As Yevgeniy shares about the work of the ministry in Ukraine, music therapy programs for special needs families, and other areas of ministry, we think you'll be encouraged!

In today’s podcast, speaker and author Nancy Guthrie, and Pastor Gabe deGarmeaux share their stories of child loss. With honesty and transparency, they recount their experiences and testify to the faithfulness of God throughout their grief journeys. They offer words of encouragement to those who are experiencing loss and share a wealth of spiritual insights that they have learned along the way.

If you are a grieving parent, you may especially enjoy the conversation about Respite Retreats — special opportunities to find community and hope with others who are walking the same path of grief.

In today’s episode, Leonard and Amy Bailey share the story of their daughter, Ilona, and of her homegoing, just two years ago. They share with honesty and transparency about their grief journey, and offer insights learned through suffering. Prompted by the Lord to use their pain to comfort others as they have been comforted, they founded the Ilona Foundation, a ministry to help other bereaved parents. (theilonafoundation.org)