Grief
Grief takes many forms. It may come through the loss of a loved one, a relationship, health, mobility, a dream, or even the life you thought you’d have. And while grief is universal, the timelines and expectations others place on us can make finding a safe path forward feel in itself – traumatic.
One of the hottest topics of conversation I have been having more frequently, has unfortunately been around grief, and the biggest turnouts I’ve had this past year in our Going Farther Community was our “Be A Hope Hero – Walking with the Grieving” event, with Shirley Thiessen. That told me something: Many are affected by grief, and this conversation matters deeply, and I see you. That’s why it’s my absolute pleasure to announce that Shirley Thiessen one of our very own community members and dear friend, has agreed to return, and continue the conversation on GRIEF!
About Shirley!
Shirley, is a woman who has turned unimaginable personal loss into a powerful mission of hope and healing. After the tragic loss of her 23-year-old son Jordan, Shirley was faced with a grief so deep it nearly extinguished her spirit. But through the kindness and courage of what she now calls Hope Heroes, Shirley began to heal. Today, she’s a grief educator/coach, speaker, and the author of The Little Black Funeral Dress—a compassionate, practical guide to supporting the grieving. She also founded Corner Bend Grief Ministries and created the Hope Heroes course, which equips people of all ages to show up with empathy and care when someone they love is grieving.
Shirley doesn’t just talk about grief—she has walked it. She carries a passion to walk alongside others navigating their own journey.
As Shirley puts it: “Hope Heroes lend hope to broken hearts because each one matters to God.”
If you’re walking with a broken heart, you also need to know how to find the right hands—safe, trusted hands—that can hold your heart with care.
Looking For A Safe Place To Grieve?
“Losing a loved one is one of the loneliest journeys we will ever walk. The presence of a caring friend can make all the difference.
But here’s the reality: not every friend can walk with us in grief. Some mean well, but lack the understanding or emotional capacity to help carry the burden of loss.
This doesn’t make them bad friends; it just means they are not the safe support we need to process our grief.
Understanding this reality, we must adjust our expectations and lean on those who can truly be a Hope Hero—a caring grief companion.
5 signs that a friend currently cannot be your Hope Hero.” Shirley Thiessen
Looking for a safe place place to explore what’s helpful & what’s not as you grieve?
Join Shirley and I for a much needed conversation about grief.
Finding A Safe Place In Your Grief: 5 Signs Your Friends Will Fail You in Grief!
Saturday, September 20th | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM MST
(This is a virtual event, and will take place during our already scheduled community “Make Faith” prayer call.)
Whether you are grieving—or love someone who is—this conversation is for you.
RSVP BY SEPTEMBER 14th—for “FINDING A SAFE PLACE IN YOUR GRIEF” and receive a FREE copy of Shirley’s book, The Little Black Funeral Dress, as a reverse gift in honor of Shirley’s late son Jordan’s birthday, which would have been….. You guessed it, September 14th.
Final Thoughts From Shirley
Even when people fail us, God never does. He promises, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5
By God’s design, you need caring friends to sit beside you, share your tears, refuse to rush your healing, and commit to remember with you. I pray you find those friends, your Hope Heroes. And may you always know the comfort of the One who is a friend who never fails.
Oh and BTW, sometimes I’ve failed my grieving friends. You, too? Our missteps don’t disqualify us from being Hope Heroes. With courage, we choose to do better. Let’s decide today to keep learning, apologize for our mistakes, and to keep showing up with empathy.
- Don’t walk through grief alone.
- RSVP and start thinking about who you will invite to be part of this much needed “open forum” conversation.
- Together, we’ll discover how to carry our grief with courage and hope.
Holding you in my heart,
Shirley
SCARS IN HEAVEN – CASTING CROWNS
JUST BE HELD – CASTING CROWNS
Your Encouragement and Support Matters!
If you’ve been encouraged by the mission and impact of Going Farther – to empower others to break barriers and embrace courage, I invite you to join the Going Farther community, we don’t hide our brokenness—we bring it into the light and grow through it. Our community provides you a safe and supportive space for you to access to free inspirational content, courses, and devotionals designed to help you discover how your story, struggles, and scars can become tools of transformation. Immerse yourself in more than just content—connect, grow, and thrive through in a supportive community that uplifts you every step of the way!
Grow in faith, connect with others on a healing journey, and find strength in a community that believes EVERY broken piece has purpose.
Our Community also has recourses to explore, like my “I AM THE HERO OF MY STORY” empowerment course, as well as devotionals and other faith based courses, and all found in the Going Farther community:
https://community.goingfarther.org/invitation?code=7CGA25
Or if you don’t wish to be apart of Going Farther’s Virtual Community, but still wish to support our mission, would you kindly consider a one time donation or become a monthly partner. Every gift—big or small—helps us create more life-changing moments.
If you want to purchase a book
Or have access to a community of support and other incredible resources.
Join the Going Farther community
https://community.goingfarther.org/invitation?code=7CGA25
Or visit
https://goingfarther.org/shopping/
Thank you for being part of the Going Farther Community, let’s normalize conversations around grief and grow together in a supportive space, so hope can flourish.
