Pastor Drew Hensley and his wife Laura wanted to have children, but none came. They sought medical intervention, but nothing seemed to work. Their friends rejoiced as their families increased, but the Henleys wept as their home remained barren. In desperation, Drew turned to alcohol to numb the pain, and even contemplated suicide. He eventually reached out to a retired minister for help, and there, found comfort for his soul.
“I recently lost a close friend to cancer. She was only 32, and during my own questions and wonderings, it reminded me that we live in a culture that avoids death….The apostles wrote about death with startling clarity. They called it an enemy, yes, but a defeated one. They spoke of groaning, longing, waiting, and resurrection hope.” - Baptist Press
“I was struck by these lines: ‘Do not stand by my grave, and cry—I am not there, I did not die.’ But Jesus wept over death (John 11:35); so should we. While it is true that the person is not consciously there at his or her grave, it is emphatically not true that they did not die!” - Randy Alcorn
“This season can be a painful reminder of who is and isn’t in the room and at the table. One who was with us last year may now be gone from this world. Another may have chosen not to join the family to celebrate Christmas. They may be in pain, and the rest of the family may be experiencing pain and confusion or dismay. Yet to those who love Him, ‘God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” ’ (Hebrews 13:5).
“The use of this technology is another invitation — instead of outwardly mourning and acknowledging the reality of the death — to stay stuck instead of experiencing perturbation, or the capacity to experience change and movementmovement.” - Medscape
“Jesus’s pronouncement in the second beatitude stands in surprising contrast to our tendency: ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted’ (Matt. 5:4). For the believer, there’s blessing to be found even in our tears, a blessing that invites us to reevaluate our understanding of sorrow.” - TGC
“on Sunday, July 6, 2025, it was hard. As we filed into the church and greeted one another, nearly 100 people were still missing due to flash floods in Texas. Tragedies happen, and they are all difficult—but this was different.” - P&D
“Grief comes easily to me. The furnace of my many afflictions—stoked by painful bone disease, stage 4 cancer, advancing arthritis, perpetual 35-year-long head pain…. When you grieve as much as I have, you sometimes wonder what the Lord thinks of it. Is my grief permissible, or have I fallen into grieving doubt and self-pitying discontent?” - TGC
“People I knew and loved walked in the other direction. A friend finally dared to approach me with a hug and talk with me. Once the ice was broken, a few others joined. But until that moment, it was like the parting of the Red Sea. They just didn’t know what to say.” - Randy Alcorn
“You listen far more than say anything… Being present is the key ministry gift we give to those we minister.” - The Baptist Paper
