As Christmas draws near and a new year approaches, this episode is a gentle pause; a sacred moment set aside to pray over grieving parents who are carrying love and loss side by side.
The heart of the episode is a heartfelt Christmas prayer, spoken just two days before Christmas, acknowledging the unique pain this season holds for parents who are missing a child. Rather than forced cheer, this prayer invites God’s presence, Emmanuel, God with us, into the quiet, heavy and complicated moments of grief.
Listeners are reminded that:
- God sees every tear, every memory, and every ache
- Love does not end with death
- Our children are known, seen, and held by God
- Peace is not the absence of pain, but the presence of Christ
This episode closes with reflections on love, hope, and purpose; how the love we have for our child, when wrapped in God’s love for us, can become a powerful force in this world, even after profound loss.
Links Mentioned in this episode:
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As the new year approaches, many grieving parents feel the weight of moving forward without their child. Reflections of Hope: A Daily Reading for Bereaved Parents, written specifically with that reality in mind. Learn more: gpshope.org/reflections
Birthdays:
We lovingly remember and celebrate the lives of:
Carissa Perkins was born on December 21 and is forever 29.
Megan Tryphaena Petkau was born on December 23 and is forever 8.
John Ferreira Jr. was born on December 24 and is forever 32.
Diane Holt (Laura’s sister) was born on December 25 and is forever 62.
Isaiah Key was born on December 25 and is forever 13.
Ryan Durkin was born on December 27 and is forever 19.
Visit gpshope.org/birthdays to submit your child’s name and date so we can honor them, too.
The special song written for our children’s birthdays I Remember Well can be heard here.
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Remember to Hold On Pain Eases; there is HOPE!
To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at office@gpshope.org.
Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope) is here to walk with parents through the darkness of child-loss, guiding them to a place of hope, light and purpose.
It is a safe place for anyone who has lost a child from this earth. There is no shame or judgment in where you are in this journey, including if you are struggling in your relationship with God or your faith has been completely shattered.
The holidays can be painfully overwhelming when you’re grieving. Many parents quietly search for guidance on 
If this is your first year facing the holidays without your child, the season may feel impossible. Even years later, many pareavors say they want to sleep through the last two months of the year and wake up when it’s all over. While others decorate trees, bake cookies, and talk about joy, you may feel the shadow of grief following you into every room.
Holiday traditions often carry years of meaning… and years of memories. When your child is no longer here, those traditions can feel like they belong to another lifetime.
Journaling can be a powerful way to stay connected to your child during the holidays. Write to them. Tell them what you miss. Share memories. Cry if you need to. Tears are not a setback, they are a release.
While it is absolutely okay to skip draining events, staying connected to supportive people is essential. Other grieving parents often become a lifeline because they truly understand. When you’re learning how to get through the holidays after child loss, you don’t need a large circle, just one or two safe people who allow you to show up exactly as you are.
You may hear people say, “There is always something to be thankful for.” But when your child is gone, that phrase can wound more than help. Gratitude does not cancel out grief. It simply softens it. Some pareavors find comfort in writing down three small things they’re thankful for each day, not to erase their sorrow, but to remind themselves that God’s goodness has not left them.
The truth that has carried me through many painful holidays is the name Emmanuel, God with us. Not God watching from afar. Not God waiting for you to “be okay.” But God with you, in you, and beside you in every moment of this unwanted journey.
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The Bible repeatedly instructs us to “seek peace and pursue it.” Peace doesn’t simply appear in the middle of our turmoil, especially when we are grieving our child. Grief scrambles our ability to feel God’s nearness, much like a radio stuck between stations. We have to gently turn the dial until we can once again tune into His presence.
The biblical word for peace, 
One of the most comforting titles Jesus carries is 
Jesus once told a story about a shepherd who left his ninety-nine sheep to go after the one. While we cannot go after our children, many of us resonate deeply with the weight of “the one” who is no longer here. That weight can make it hard to focus on those who still need us, such as our spouse, our other children, our friends, our family.
Our emotions may feel like the loudest truth in the room, but Scripture tells us that the real battle is fought in our minds. Isaiah 26:3 promises perfect peace to the one whose mind is steadfast. Romans 8 reminds us that a mind governed by the Spirit brings life and peace.
