"God doesn’t ask us to live the whole story at once. He walks us through it chapter by chapter.”

In this second half of my conversation with Tricia Parker, we move beyond the events of February 2014 and into the long journey that followed the loss of her son Jeremy to suicide.

Tricia describes those early days as a fog — returning to work just ten days after Jeremy went to heaven, sitting with her Bible open and unable to process the words, and simply trying to survive one hour at a time. And yet, even in the fog, she kept showing up.

What she discovered over time is something many grieving parents need to hear: God did not require her to process everything at once. He walked her through grief in chapters.

A chapter might last weeks or months. One season focused on survival. Another on Scripture. Later, she was able to face the complicated layers unique to suicide loss — the stigma, the anger, the cultural triggers, and the difficult questions. She didn’t have to solve it all in the beginning. God was gracious to let her heal one layer at a time.

This is an honest conversation about suicide loss, but it is also a conversation about endurance, Scripture, worship, and a Shepherd who carries His lambs close to His heart.

If you are in the early chapters of grief, please hear this: you do not have to resolve every question today. You do not have to face every layer at once. God is patient. He is gentle. And He will walk with you through each chapter — one at a time.

Click HERE to find Tricia's "Sharing Jeremy's Joy" Facebook page and get involved!

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

“You don’t have to resolve every layer of grief at once. God works in chapters.”

Today's episode begins a two-part conversation with my new friend Tricia Patrick. In this first episode, you’ll get to know her son Jeremy — a miracle baby, a football-loving, bow-tie wearing, big-hearted young man who adored children and dreamed of opening an orphanage one day. You’ll hear about the complicated years following her divorce, the restoration that came after Jeremy placed his faith in Christ, and the devastating night in February 2014 when everything changed.

This is an honest conversation about suicide loss, about surrendering a child into God’s hands, and about trusting Him even when the outcome isn’t what we prayed for.

Be sure to come back for Part Two next week, when we move into the years after Jeremy went to heaven. Tricia will speak candidly about the early fog of grief — returning to work just days later, sitting with her Bible open and unable to process the words, and wrestling with the stigma and complicated emotions that often accompany suicide loss. She'll also explain how God gently allowed her to process her grief in “chapters,” addressing one layer at a time rather than forcing her to face everything at once.

This is an honest and hope-filled conversation about suicide loss, surrender, healing over time, and the faithfulness of a Good Shepherd who carries us — and our children — close to His heart.

If you are in the early days of grief, please know you are not alone. You don’t have to figure it all out right now. God is patient. He is gentle. And He will walk with you through every chapter.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

If you’ve lost your song, that doesn’t mean it’s gone forever.

In this second half of my conversation with Kristi Kirk, we focus on what healing can look like over time after devastating loss. Kristi reflects on the long road of grief following the death of both her husband and her son, and how her faith, perspective, and purpose have been slowly reshaped.

Kristi shares what it meant to walk through her son’s senior year without him, how fear gradually loosened its grip, and how she learned to live forward without leaving her son behind. She speaks honestly about the difference between feelings and truth, and how anchoring herself in God’s Word became essential as faith was rebuilt.

This episode also explores worship and music—how Kristi lost her song after loss, and how it returned in time as a quiet expression of healing. Along the way, she offers practical wisdom for those in early grief, encouragement to stay connected to community, and permission to lament without shame.

Rather than offering a neat resolution, this conversation affirms that grief remains—and reminds us that though we may be shaken, we are not abandoned by God.

Click HERE to connect with Kristi!

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org