In this episode, Laura brings on a guest to talk about a deeply serious and needed topic after the death of our child. How important is your child to you, and how important is God to you?
Often, we don’t realize the love for our child can overshadow our love for God, causing us to get stuck in our suffocating darkness when our child leaves this earth before we do. Laura and her guest, Shirley Thiessen, discuss this because they want you to be set free from anything that can keep you from being able to move forward in a way that brings a measure of hope and healing, which opens the door for you to learn how to live a life of meaning and purpose again.
Twelve days after her son’s wedding, Shirley Thiessen was thrown 
into the unimaginable task of planning his funeral. Grief threatened to extinguish her purpose. Hope and resiliency gradually emerged as she chose to participate with God to recycle her pain for His good purpose. Because most people are uncertain how to support those who grieve, Shirley founded the grief ministry, CornerBend Ministries, along with creating a playbook of best practices to build confidence and effectiveness.
Shirley and her husband Carey live in Calgary, AB, Canada. Their newly married daughter, Chantel, is also active in the grief ministry.
(Note: The views and opinions of our guests outside of this podcast may not be in agreement with GPS Hope.)
Links Mentioned in this episode:
Shirley’s websites: Corner Bend Ministries and shirleythiessen.com
To email Shirley: shirley@cornerbend.com
Click here to find out more about the In Loving Memory Hearts to put on the Hope Mobile.
Find out more about the GPS Hope retreats.
Birthdays:
Zachary Kidd was born on January 27 and is forever 26.
Bryce D. Thurman was born on January 30 and is forever 22.
Kayla Adkins was born on January 31 and is forever 25.
Robert Schafer DeVries was born on February 4 and is forever 35.
Fill out the short form with the needed information to have your child’s birthday shared with our listeners.
The special song “I Remember Well“, which was written by Laura for our children’s birthdays, can be heard on your favorite music app. To hear samples of Laura’s other songs, click here.
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.
After losing her daughter in 1989, she started a resource and referral service for grieving families. Soon after she began providing personalized aftercare solutions for hundreds of funeral homes across the nation. Lin is now an aftercare specialist who has created, facilitated, and coordinated hundreds of workshops, services, and support groups. As a Christian lay counselor, Lin’s highest honor is to enter people’s lives and help make a difference. To date, Lin has supported over 158,000 people on behalf of funeral homes across North America.
